Damaged
by CelandineGranger
Summary: The turtles are often injured in battle. No big deal. They bounce back quickly. But this time the damage is permanent. Yet, even as the Hamato family struggles to cope with new changes, their greatest enemy has not given up his plots for revenge.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

_Chapter 1: Prologue_

 _Tiger Claw's POV_

The cold stone corridor is dark, shrouded in shadow, as I make my silent way toward the laboratory at the far end. My padded paws make no sound on the hard floor. All I can hear is the echoes of voices, though distant, from my destination. The long metal staff in my hand swings unevenly, the curious device at one end offsetting its balance. I discovered this strange staff in a dark alleyway earlier tonight and I am fairly certain that it contains some powerful secret, hopefully something that will gain me greater power in the Foot Clan. I have been practically ignored by my ninja master since that serpentine daughter of his fell under his mind control. I am the most feared assassin in all of Asia! The Shredder did not hire me to be ignored and cast aside for a mere child whose true loyalties lie with the enemy! Authority over the clan should be mine! I will discover the purpose of this mysterious staff, and that miserable fly that dares to call himself a scientist is going to help me.

As I push open the door of the lab, the voices become suddenly louder. I take in the scene in an instant. Xever is lying rather helpless on the floor while Stockman, his toolkit open before him, is busy working on the robotic legs that allow the fish mutant to move around out of the water. The metal appendages jerk amusingly in different directions and emit occasional showers of sparks. Must be short circuiting. Xever yells abuse at the useless scientist each time this happens, though the ugly bug seems to be giving only half his concentration to fixing the fish's legs. He is continually being distracted by Bradford, who is not far away, near one of Stockman's work tables. Despite the buzzing protestations from the fly, the mutant dog roughly handles the objects on the table. He is seething with frustration and anger.

Apparently the ambush did not go well.

I growl low, revealing my own frustration. Xever and Bradford were sent to lay an ambush for Hamato Yoshi's irritating turtles. I had given the order myself, seeing as I am finally in charge again while the Shredder and his overly obedient daughter are conducting business in Japan. Perhaps I should have laid the ambush myself, rather than trusting these incompetent fools.

"I take it you have failed to capture, or even kill the turtles?" I speak low, but in a commanding voice that instantly gains me the attention of everyone in the room.

Bradford growls loudly. "No matter how many Footbots we bring with us, those stupid turtles always manage to defeat us!" He picks up a bottle of some unknown liquid off the table and smashes it to the sound of Stockman's protests.

Ignoring the fly, I turn to Xever. "I thought you incapacitated one of them earlier this week."

"Yeah, well he was back. He's the one that destroyed my legs, just to pay me back for that injury," the fish spits out the words angrily.

With another angry growl, Bradford picks up a leather sack of something and prepares to throw it as he says, "The turtles heal too quickly! No matter what we do to hurt them, they always come back!" He throws the bag at a cage full of lab rats as Stockman cries "No! That izzzz very rare and highly dangerouzzz!"

The fly's protests are in vain. The sack has already struck the wire bars of the cage, spilling some sort of purple powder on one of the rats inside. The wretched creature, completely covered in the strange substance, gives a loud squeak, twitches, and falls down, apparently dead.

Stockman, distressed, buzzes over to his work table and shoves Bradford out of the way so he can assess the damage.

I don't have time for this. "Stockman!" I use my commanding voice again. The fly gives me part of his attention. "I found this in an alley tonight. It may possibly belong to the Kraang. Tell me what it does."

I extend the scepter toward him, but Stockman is still distracted by his rats and Bradford gets there first. He snatches the staff, scoffs at the hideous clawed hand carved on the end, and swings it threateningly.

"Why weren't you there, tonight, Tiger?" he growls low.

"I was on important business," I answer, putting a warning into my voice.

Bradford either doesn't notice or ignores it. "What, like searching for trinkets?" He waves the staff around to emphasize his point. "You should have been with us on that rooftop, fighting the turtles!"

On the last hateful word, he slams the bottom end of the staff into the floor in anger. Without warning, a burst of white light illuminates the lab. I blink involuntarily, and when I open my eyes I see a shining white rectangle, the size of a door, hanging in the air, several feet from where we stand. I stare in amazement. I've seen something like this before. . . A portal! It looks like a portal! But where does it lead?

Before I can move to discover the answer, something comes hurtling through the opening. Or rather someone. Twirling in a somersault through the air, a green blur falls through the portal and lands on the floor at our feet. In an instant of trained reflexes, he is on his feet and facing us, an expression of shock to match our own showing through his orange mask.

"Dudes! Where did you guys come from?"

.o0o.

 **AN: Hey everyone! This is my first time writing a story in first person, so feel free to give me feedback on that. This started out as a short exercise in writing emotional scenes from a first person perspective, and then it grew and grew until it became the lengthy piece of drama you are about to embark on. I'm not sure what happened! Anyway, this prologue is in Tiger Claw's POV, but most of the other chapters will be in the point of view of one of the turtles. And be warned: much drama, emotional angst, and brotherly fluff shall ensue!**

 **This takes place in the third season of the 2k12 universe, sometime after "Tale of the Yokai" and before "The Fourfold Trap". The only deviation from canon is that Shredder and Karai are on a trip to Japan at the beginning, and this was only because I needed them out of the way for the start. Everything else follows canon.**

 **This story has been beta read by my fabulous friend, WinterHeath! Thank you, dear! Many parts of this story are much better, thanks to you! :D**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT.**


	2. Chapter 2: Noise

_Chapter 2: Noise_

 _Leo's POV_

The cool night air blows gently against my face as I run, and I breathe deep, feeling refreshed after the stale and stagnant air in the sewers. My mask tails flap behind me, softly striking my shell with the rhythm of my footfalls. Run, run, run, leap! Run, run, run, leap! It is a rhythm that has become second nature to me after all the nights I've spent traversing the rooftops of the city with my brothers. I cannot help but feel a sense of pride in the absolute silence of my movements. I am one with the shadows. No one would ever be aware of my approach, if it weren't for. . .

"Booyakasha! Donnie, did you see that? That was a totally perfect double back flip, bro!"

I groan inwardly. Despite all our years of ninjutsu training, my youngest brother still hasn't grasped the concept of stealth. I briefly consider reprimanding him, but that conversation tastes stale from overuse. I decide to ignore it this time and don't even bother glancing back at him. Instead I share a knowing look with Raphael who is keeping up my pace directly beside me.

Together we leap across a narrow alleyway, and as we land on the next rooftop I spare a quick glance of concern toward my immediate younger brother. I must've been doing that a lot tonight because Raph rolls his eyes in annoyance and says, "Shut up, Leo. I'm fine!"

"I didn't say anything!"

"No, but you were thinkin' it."

Okay, so that's true. It's been less than a week since Raphael was laid up with a badly sprained ankle, courtesy of FishFace. I was hesitant to let Raph come out on patrol with us tonight so soon after his injury, but Donnie declared him fully recovered. And indeed he is showing no sign of weakness or pain whatsoever. Donnie has explained before that the mutagen in our systems helps us to heal faster than humans do, so I guess Raph has that to thank tonight.

As we continue to race across the rooftops, I turn my attention back to the streets far below, keeping a lookout for any sign of suspicious or criminal activity. Apart from the never ending chatter from my loud-mouthed little brother, the night is quiet. I listen carefully to every sound coming from the streets below. A car horn beeps. Tires screech. A man hails a taxi. A woman calls to her friend. A cell phone rings. A door slams. All these sounds together make the normal hum of the city. Just ordinary people going about their ordinary business. There seems to be no sign of the Kraang, or the Foot, or -

"Not even any Purple Dragons out tonight!" Raph growls in frustration. "My first night out all week and there aren't any heads to bash!"

Okay, I know that I should be glad that there aren't any bad guys out hurting people or causing trouble. A peaceful night is a good thing, right? But the truth is, Raph has been cooped up in the lair all week, going stir crazy and driving everyone else nuts. I admit I was hoping for some action tonight, if only for Raph to have an opportunity to let out his pent-up frustrations on someone other than Mikey. And, yeah, I guess I do enjoy beating up a few bad guys myself. . . But it doesn't look like it's going to happen tonight.

"Alright, guys," I call over my shoulder without slowing my pace. "We'll split up and make a perimeter around China Town, checking for any Purple Dragon activity. Donnie and Mikey, you take the east side, Raph and I will take the west. We meet on the opposite end, and then head home."

Raph nods in disgruntled acquiescence. But glancing behind me, I doubt whether my two youngest brothers heard my order at all. Donnie is moving along with mechanical precision, but his face is vacant. His mind clearly elsewhere, he has succeeded in tuning out all noise around him. And no wonder. Mikey has chosen him as the audience for his latest fantastical story.

"Dude! You should've seen it! Ice Cream Kitty was all like, 'Hyaaaa! Hya! Wah!' and she totally kicked butt on those mutant pandas with her brain-freezing powers. And then I was like . . ."

I turn around again with a sigh. Is there anything that could make Mikey be quiet? I sigh again as I leap across another alley and land on the next rooftop before halting and turning back to watch the other three follow suit. Mikey manages to execute a handspring and a back flip across the alley, all without pausing the unending flow of his chatter. He lands in front of me, still directing his words at the unresponsive Donatello.

". . . And then the pandas came back with new recruits and you'll never guess what kind of mutants they were!"

"Mikey!" I'm quite annoyed with him at this point, but he takes no notice whatsoever.

"They were centipede fish with laser swords!"

Oh, he is seriously lucky there are no enemies out tonight. "Mikey!"

Finally, he stops talking and turns toward me, his mouth still partly open. Noting the disappointed glare on my face, he has the decency to look sheepish. "Oh, heh heh. Sorry, Leo. I guess I was being too loud, huh?"

I simply raise an incredulous eye ridge at him, but Raph scoffs sarcastically, "Ya think?"

"Okay, maybe I should have been quieter, but Donnie wanted to hear the end of the story, right Donnie?"

"What?" splutters Donnie, who obviously doesn't appreciate this being pinned on him when he hadn't been listening to Mikey at all. "Wait a minute! I never said. . ."

"Forget it, Donnie." I wave my hand dismissively. Now that I finally have their attention, I repeat my order to split up and scope out China Town.

Mikey mock-salutes me with a grin. "Sure thing, bro!" And in a flash he is gone, bounding over the rooftops in the direction I indicated, with Donnie close behind him. Well, he may be obnoxious, but at least he follows orders without question.

Raph and I traverse the west side of China Town in complete silence, now that Mikey is no longer with us. An unuttered competition arises between us to see who can be the stealthier ninja. We disappear almost entirely into the shadows, until it is even hard for _me_ to detect where my brother is. No one else would have a clue we are even there. This fills me with a sense of pride and satisfaction at our mastery of this skill. I roll and duck into the shadows, moving swiftly along the roof of a particularly long apartment complex. We are nearing our rendezvous point now.

Suddenly, at exactly the same instant, Raph and I come to a complete halt, on opposite sides of the roof, standing absolutely still in watchful silence. Something in the alley below has put all our senses on high alert. We are both hidden almost entirely in the darkness, and yet acutely aware of each other's position. From our vantage point we can survey the back of the abandoned fortune cookie factory across the alley. Almost instantly I see the source of our unease.

Deep in the alley below, a darker patch in one of the shadows shifts slightly. The shape of a claw moves into deeper darkness. A few feet away I catch a glint of steel and slimy scales reflecting the light of a street lamp. I glance over to Raph, who meets my gaze with an excited grin and nods. Rahzar and FishFace are hiding below. In one silent bound, I am at my brother's side, gazing down at the evil mutants. He has a better view from here, and I can see that the two goons are staring at the roofs in the opposite direction, as if they're waiting for something. They seem to be preparing for an ambush. I wonder whom they're waiting for, but then it occurs to me. The building they're staring at is a location where we've often run into them before. They must think we'll appear in that place again.

"They're waiting for us," Raph says in an almost inaudible whisper.

I nod in agreement.

"Well, then, let's give them a surprise and ambush _them!_ "

I grin at my brother, for once in agreement with his plan. Raph's sai glint in the street light as he readjusts his hold on them. I reach for my katanas as we both crouch down in preparation to spring on our enemies.

"Booyakasha!" The silence is shattered. I close my eyes in exasperation as my youngest brother bounces up behind us, completely giving away our position. So much for being stealthy. . . Raph growls in equal annoyance, noticing our enemies' heads turn sharply in our direction.

"Dudes! Donnie and I totally stopped a robbery back there! There were these Purple Dragon guys, and they were acting all suspicious around the antique store, and I just _knew_ they were about to rob it, and then - "

"Mikey!" I don't even try to hide my severe annoyance this time. "Can't you ever be _quiet?_ "

"What? I was just - " He is cut off abruptly as Rahzar makes it to the top of the roof. A second later FishFace stands beside him, grinning his evil, fishy grin. Realization dawns on Mikey's face, and the four of us react with trained swiftness. Before anyone can blink, all our weapons are drawn and we've assumed a defensive battle stance.

"You two were about to ambush these guys, weren't you?" Donnie directs his question at me and Raph.

"Yeah," I answer, annoyance still strong in my voice. "We were, until Mikey gave us away with his loud mouth!"

"Who cares?" Raph shrugs, spinning his sai in preparation of battle. "I've been itching to hit somethin' all night, and these guys are my favorite punching bags!" He looks positively excited that these mutants showed up.

"What are _you_ doing here, Raphael?" asks FishFace angrily. "Shouldn't you be in bed, writhing in agony?" He glances at Raph's recently healed ankle.

Raph scoffs derisively. "And miss an opportunity to bash your ugly face in? I believe I owe you a beat down!" And with that, he leaps at FishFace, brandishing his sai.

I turn my attention to the skeletal dog growling menacingly in front of me, my body tense, ready for anything. The grunts and shouts and other sounds of Raph and FishFace clashing in combat a few feet away do not distract my focus. My katanas, held threateningly toward Rahzar, flash in the light of a nearby building as I glare at the mutant.

"You turtles are going down!" he growls. "For good this time!"

From behind me, I hear Mikey laugh mockingly. "Oh really? Well, I hope you brought some more friends, then! It takes more than your two sorry butts to take us down!" His nunchucks twirl as he prepares to leap at the former martial arts legend.

"Just you wait, turtle," he snarls in response. "I'm going to silence that obnoxious voice of yours forever!"

Okay, I know that five minutes ago I was wishing myself that Mikey would be silent, but it is something else entirely to hear an enemy threaten him like that. After all, we all know what he really means by that, and if he thinks I'm going to sit passively by and let him kill my baby brother, he's got another thing coming.

With a yell, I charge at Rahzar, my blades singing as I twirl them and strike with perfect form, the product of years of practice and discipline. As my body moves with smooth precision, delivering stroke after stroke, I feel strangely alive. The joy of practicing my beloved art, the pleasure of the battle, the satisfaction of a blow well struck, all these feelings course through my body on the back of adrenaline as my heightened senses pick up everything around me.

A clang and a grunt as Raphael's sai blocks a blow from Xever's switchblade. A yelp from Rahzar as my blade nicks his shoulder. A shout from Donnie and the twirling of his bo as I am suddenly aware of the presence of new enemies. Never taking my focus off the mutant dog I am engaged in fighting, I spin around to check the status of my two youngest brothers. I am not surprised to see the rooftop swarming with dozens of Footbots. Apparently the mutants did bring some friends along. Donnie and Mikey are in full battle mode, taking down bot after bot with systematic ease. Mikey laughs in their faces, shouting "Booyakasha!" as he takes down three at once with his kusarigama.

I return my full attention to the skeletal dog attacking me. My brothers will be fine. Any of us can defeat Footbots with little effort. Rahzar, on the other hand, takes a bit more concentration.

Bradford swipes at me with his claws, but I easily duck and dodge to the left, intentionally moving several paces along the rooftop, hoping to lead the mutant canine away from my younger brothers. They have enough to deal with at the moment. It seems to work, as he lumbers toward me with a growl. As I continue to flip out of his way, I pass by Raph just as he triumphantly stabs his sai into the joints of FishFace's robot legs, causing them to short circuit. This leaves the fish mutant flopping helplessly on the rooftop. Raph gloats over him a moment, then turns around just as Rahzar bears down upon me.

Seeing that Mikey and Donnie have already nearly defeated all the Footbots, Raph joins me in the fight against Rahzar. With the help of my sai-wielding brother, I soon send the mutant dog wounded and fleeing from the scene, dragging FishFace helplessly along with him. I watch for a few moments to make sure they're gone. They won't be taking out any of _my_ brothers tonight!

I turn toward the two youngest, grinning in triumph at our victory, expecting to hear another "Booyakasha!" - one I'd finally approve of. Strangely, it doesn't come.

Wait, where is Mikey? As I turn around, all I see is Donnie standing there alone, surrounded by the twitching bodies of disabled Footbots, the last one emitting sparks from the naginata still embedded in its head. Mikey is nowhere to be seen.


	3. Chapter 3: Ambush

_Chapter 3: Ambush_

 _Donnie's POV_

"Donnie, where's Mikey?" Leo asks. His face is a mix of exasperation and something bordering on fear.

"I - I don't know." I look around the rooftop, bewildered. "I swear, he was fighting right behind me just a second ago!" I scan our surroundings again. Just twenty-seven broken Footbots.

"Well, he can't have gone far," snorts Raph, annoyed. "Little dork is probably playing a prank on us. Mikey!" he shouts, trotting to the edge of the roof and looking down the fire escape.

"Donnie, you check that side of the building," Leo indicates the back of the apartment complex we are standing on, "and I'll check the alley on the side." In a second he has disappeared over the edge. Raph is also no longer in sight. I'd better hurry and check the side Leo suggested. I turn around and find myself face to face with - Tiger Claw!

I let out an involuntary yelp that sounds anything but intimidating, but I quickly unsheathe my weapon as my mind races to catch up with this unexpected turn of events. Where in the world did Tiger Claw come from? I am ninety-eight percent sure he was not on this rooftop a second ago. That leaves a two percent margin of error in which an unlikely explanation for his undetected appearance must fit, but before I can deduce the most probable, the large tiger is already upon me, sweeping at me with his fists. He does not appear at all surprised to see _me_.

I swing my bo at Tiger Claw's head, but his ultra-quick reflexes allow him to block it. No, he grabs it. All three of Newton's Laws of Motion come into play in the standoff between my bo and his enormous paws, but after a short struggle, his superior strength proves the greater force as he rips my weapon from my hands and throws it off the roof. My eyes follow the perfect projectory arc of my bo until it disappears beyond the edge of the building. Turning back to my now grinning adversary, I gulp at the prospect of fighting him unarmed. The odds of winning are severely against me and I must call for backup. However, I am instantly forced to assume a defensive stance in order to block the continuous blows he is now raining down on me. His left fist is coming at my head. Block! Now his right. Block again.

"Leo!" I shout in no particular direction, being unsure of his current location. Tiger Claw is aiming a kick at my stomach. Twist away and block. "Raph!" Hopefully one of them heard my call. I continue to block blow after blow, not getting the slightest chance to retaliate with an attack of my own.

Suddenly I feel the air explode from my lungs as a kick to my chest hits home. The sky spins back and with a _crunch_ I'm lying on my carapace on the rooftop, gasping for air. Ouch! I've been trained for this. My muscles react instantly, attempting to regain my standing position without waiting for my breath to return. Not fast enough. I feel sudden painful pressure as Tiger Claw's large foot presses his full weight into my chest, pinning me down. I gasp painfully, trying to bring air into my lungs.

I'm definitely in trouble now. I need my brothers!

My opponent grins down at me with an evil sneer of triumph. "I didn't expect to find you alone, and so easily defeated," he taunts.

I struggle to maneuver into a position where I can aim an effective kick at him. Or a punch. Or anything. But his weight is too much. I can't move!

Tiger Claw reaches for something attached to his belt and for a second I assume he's going for one of his guns. But no, it's not a gun. His gloved hand produces a small leather pouch. What in the world? He reaches in and withdraws his hand, clutching a fistful of - something. Some sort of purple powder is clinging to the outside of his glove.

"Where are your brothers?" He sneers once again at my apparent isolation, knowing full well he has me helplessly in his clutches. I have no idea what he's about to do with that purple stuff, but I do know that I will be incapable of hindering him. Where _are_ my brothers?

"We're right here!" Raph's voice! He is standing somewhere behind my head, about twenty to twenty-five feet away, judging by the sound, so I can't see him, but I just know he's brandishing his sai with his powerful don't-you-dare-hurt-my-brother expression. Our enemies should really learn to fear that look.

"Get off of him, Tiger Claw!" Leo's here, too!

I don't know if Leo actually expected Tiger Claw to obey that order, but the large cat certainly has no intention of doing so. An evil grin brings up the corners of his mouth, revealing his large, fang-like canines as he presses his foot harder onto my plastron. I hear the slight sound of my brothers moving toward me, but before their weapons can reach him, Tiger Claw swiftly tosses his handful of powder at my face. For a split second my vision is encompassed in purple glitter. Then - PAIN!

It's in my eyes! Aaaugh! It's in my eyes! Burning, burning, burning! PAIN! I try to rub it out using the wrappings on the back of my wrists, but it does no good. It won't come off! I can't open my eyes! PAIN!

I am vaguely aware of the pressure suddenly lifting from my chest. My eyes are on fire! Shouts and sounds of battle nearby. Burning, burning! Someone is screaming. Is that me? Screaming, screaming. I can't stop! The pain won't stop! Someone make it stop!

"Donnie!" Raph's voice beside me. Fire. Burning. Pain. Raph's arm around my shell. I didn't even realize I had sat up. "Donnie, hold still. Move your hands!" I can't! I'm still trying to rub the relentless pain out of my eyes.

Suddenly Raph's rough arm pulls my hands away from my face and at the same instant a splash of cool relief hits my eyes. Cold water runs over my face, washing away the burning, leaving behind only a scratchy feeling behind my eyelids.

"Did you get him, Leo?" Raph's gruff voice is directed at the oncoming footsteps of my oldest brother.

"No, he jumped over the ledge and disappeared." Leo's voice is beside me now, too. A vague part in the back of my mind wonders where Mikey is. "Donnie, are you okay?"

I open my mouth to say something tough, something along the lines of "I'm fine," but all that comes out is a whimpering "Ow."

"Leo, do you have any more water?" Raph asks, and a second later another splash hits my face. I rub a hand over my eyes once more and find enough relief to finally open them. I blink a couple times, expecting to see Raph and Leo's faces looking at me in concern.

Nothing. Only darkness.

I rub my eyes again and blink once more. Still nothing. Okay, I know it's nighttime, but night in New York City is never this dark. Something's wrong.

"Donnie?" Leo's voice sounds even more concerned than it did before. "Donnie, what's wrong?"

"I - I - " I rub my eyes again, hoping that this time my futile attempt to clear my vision will work. Nothing. Blackness. Panic rises in my chest. It's dark. It's much too dark. "Leo, I - I can't see!"

.o0o.

 **AN: As always, this was beta read by my amazing friend, WinterHeath, though this time credit also goes to my friend, Spirael, who gave me the idea for the use of Newton's Laws. You are an excellent writer, my dear! Thank you so much for helping me make Donnie's point of view better. :D**


	4. Chapter 4: Darkness

_Chapter 4: Darkness_

 _Leo's POV_

I'm such a failure. How could I have let this happen? How could a simple patrol go so wrong so quickly? I'm supposed to be the leader. I'm supposed to lead my brothers to safety and victory and yet in one night I manage to completely lose Mikey, and then... Donnie... I glance back at my brother. I'm leading, or rather, dragging him along by his hand through the sewers while, with the other hand, he continues to rub at his eyes. I left Raph on the surface with instructions to find Mikey while I brought Donnie home.

I'm really worried about Donnie. Whatever Tiger Claw threw at him, it wasn't ordinary blinding powder. Most of us have been hit by the Foot Clan's blinding powder before. It stings a lot and makes your vision blurry for a while, but it wears off soon enough. The screams Donnie was making on that rooftop, though, were not the result of mere stinging discomfort. He was in serious pain, and now he says he can't see at all. We need to figure out what's wrong.

We burst through the turnstiles at top speed. As soon as we are inside the lair, I make a beeline for Donnie's lab, pulling my blinded brother behind me. I am vaguely aware that normally I would first be going to Splinter's room to give a report about our mission, but I have a more urgent problem at the moment.

I burst through the door of the lab and lead Donnie to the bed he keeps in there for medical purposes. Usually it's one of _us_ lying injured on the bed while Donnie doctors us, but this time I'm going to have to take care of the medical procedure.

"Here, Donnie, sit here," I say, shoving him down onto the bed. He is still rubbing his eyes and I can feel the panic rolling off him in waves. "I'll get something to clean your eyes properly."

I rush to the kitchen and return a moment later with a bowl of warm water and a soft cloth. Donnie is no longer sitting on the bed but is moving frantically around his desk, feeling all over it, searching for something.

"Donnie, what are you doing? You need to sit back down." I set the bowl of water beside the bed and rush over to him as he continues to search his desk. I try to grab his shoulders and guide him to the bed, but he shakes me off.

"My penlight, Leo! Where's my penlight? I usually keep it right here!" His voice is high pitched and shaking with panic.

"Donnie, calm down!" I try to keep my voice calm and even. I feel my own panic rising at the sight of his frantic expression, but I have to keep a cool head for his sake. No sense in us both going into hysterics. I spot the penlight a couple inches from his searching fingers and quickly shove it into his hands. He calms down marginally and allows me to push him back onto the bed.

Grabbing one of my hands, Donnie pushes the penlight into it, speaking in fast-paced desperation. "Here, Leo, I need you to shine this in my eyes and tell me exactly what you see. We need to figure out if the problem is with the cornea, which would be the most likely since the loss of vision was caused by an external irritant, and that would possibly be the easiest to fix, but if it's a problem with the retina or -"

"Donatello!" I have to pull out my no-nonsense leader voice to cut through his frantic ramblings. At the sound of his full name his mouth snaps shut and his eyes go wide and I can see him forcefully trying to quell his panic. I take a deep breath to calm my own nerves, then place a hand reassuringly on his shoulder as I pull the computer chair over to face him and sit down.

"Okay, Donnie," I say gently. "I've got some warm water to rinse out your eyes so we can try to see what's wrong, okay?"

"But the light -"

"Let me clean them first."

He nods stiffly and submits to my procedure. His eyes are still red rimmed, and clearly irritated. I gently rinse them out with the water. Part of me is clinging to the hope that after all the substance is washed out his vision will start to return. He blinks a couple times. "How does it feel now, Donnie?"

"Better, thanks, Leo," he says quietly. "At least, it doesn't hurt anymore. But, um, Leo?"

I'm pretty sure I know what he's about to say. The fact that he seems to be looking beyond me instead of right at me is confirming my fears. "What, Donnie?"

"I still can't see anything." His voice is strained, as if he's trying really hard to keep it level and not succumb again to the panic he's clearly barely concealing.

"Are you sure, Donnie? Nothing at all?" Something clenches tight in my chest and I try to swallow the fear down again. I have to stay calm. I have to stay calm.

He shakes his head, clutching his hands together tightly in his lap. If our places had been switched, this would be the point when Donnie would go into full-on doctor mode, running tests and talking a mile a minute in clinical detachment in an effort to put his patient at ease. I must attempt to do something of the same for him.

"Okay," I say, trying to keep my voice steady and reassuring. "Let's try and figure out what's wrong." I lift the penlight and click it on. In an attempt to keep up my calm façade, I try to give doctor-sounding instructions. "Donnie, turn your head toward me and open your eyes. I'm going to shine the light in them."

He nods once, then obediently opens his eyes in my direction. I shine the bright beam directly into his right pupil, then his left, but he shows no response at all. Stay calm, stay calm. Act like I'm in control and everything is going to be okay.

"Just tell me if you see anything different, okay?" Good, my voice sounds normal. Hopefully he can't tell how scared I am right now.

He nods again, just a slight incline of his head. He seems almost afraid to talk again, as if he'll betray more of the fearful emotions I know he must be feeling. I shine the light in his peripheral vision on both sides, but still no response. My heart is sinking within me. If he can't see this bright light shining right into his eyes, then. . . No, I have to stay focused. We have to figure out what's wrong. I look closely in his familiar, intelligent brown eyes, but apart from still being a little red around the edges, they look perfectly normal. I don't really know what I was expecting, but any indication of something wrong might have been helpful. I glance up at the large poster of the anatomy of the eye that Donnie has hanging on his wall. Clearly he's studied this subject. Maybe he can tell me what to do.

I sigh, and turn off the light. "I don't know, Donnie. Your eyes look normal to me. Is there anything I should be looking for?"

I can visibly see him swallow his panic again as the wheels in his mind click into gear. He's clearly sorting the information he knows about eyesight to deduce what would be most helpful in this situation.

"Are you sure they look normal, Leo?" he asks, his voice only quivering a little. "There's no film or anything over the pupil, nothing that could be blocking the vision?"

I shine the light again, just to double check. "No, they look normal." Wait, there is something off about them. What is it? Of course. "Except that the pupil isn't shrinking in response to the light," I add. "It stays the same size all the time."

A whispered Japanese curse falls from his lips. Now I know it's bad. Donnie rarely swears.

"What does that mean, Donnie?"

"Well, if the pupil looked cloudy or opaque, it would indicate a possibly temporary or at least potentially reversible obstruction of the cornea, which is what you would expect from something like blinding powder, but if the eyes look normal and there is still complete loss of vision, it would suggest a deeper problem, and the fact that the pupil is not responding to light would indicate the possibility that the optic nerve has been damaged, but I'm not sure how that's possible. I wish I could analyze that powder because it clearly has a more devastating effect than anything similar we've seen before. Some of its properties may be -"

He starts rambling a little, as he does under pressure, but the biggest question is still weighing on my chest and it must be answered. "Donnie," I interrupt him with a gentle hand on his knee. "What does all that mean? Is this - do you think it's permanent?"

.o0o.

 _Donnie's POV_

"Do you think it's permanent?"

Leo's voice breaks through the blackness around me as he asks the terrible question we've both been avoiding. Since that moment on the rooftop when I realized I couldn't see I've been trying to suppress the emotions revolving around that horrifying notion of finality. I needed to keep my mind clear, to figure out what's wrong. But Leo's analyses produced inconclusive results and I know we do not have the knowledge or means by which to further test and more accurately diagnose my condition. So, with that one question, posed so directly, the careful walls I had constructed around my emotions finally crumble away into dust and I cry out to my brother in desperation.

"I don't _know_ , Leo!" I hate not knowing. I _hate_ not having the answers. There has to be a way to fix this. There has to. But how? A dozen ideas swirl through my brain, but all of them require advanced equipment and specialized medical knowledge we can't hope to have access to. "I can't know if there's a way to fix this if I don't know exactly what's wrong!" My thoughts have suddenly become verbal again as they spiral into a frantic whirl of questions. "I have no idea what that powder is made of, so I can't possibly know what exactly it did to me. All I know is it _really_ hurt and now I can't see! Where did Tiger Claw even get that stuff? Did Stockman make it? Did it come from the Kraang? Who knows! And what does it matter? I'll never be able to analyze it now!"

I can hear my voice rising, both in volume and in pitch. I realize I'm screaming at my brother, but I can't stop. Not until I've stated the words with my own mouth and accepted the fearful truth. "Maybe there is some simple procedure to fix this, something to reverse the negative effects, but it's not like I can go to an ophthalmologist to find out. I'm entirely limited to the medical knowledge of our family, so, unless you have any brilliant ideas for a cure, then for all practical purposes, yes, Leo, it _is_ permanent!"

Those final words hang in the absolute darkness between us for a few moments. My heart is pounding and my chest is heaving after that release of emotion and my whole body is tense, as if preparing itself for the onslaught of consequences of that last awful statement. Darkness, blackness everywhere. I can't think! I can't think about it right now!

Suddenly I feel Leo's arms around me in a forceful but comforting hug. He's rubbing my shell in a soothing manner, but I don't return the embrace. I'm not ready to calm down yet. Too many horrible thoughts and emotions are churning through me. The dark is unrelenting.

"My experiments," I mumble into his plastron, my voice still frantic and my body still rigid. "I can't finish my experiments. I'll never find a cure for the brain worm, or be able to make any more retro-mutagen, or build any more machines, or fix anything, or even read my books, or -"

"Hey." Leo cuts off my flood of agitation by cupping his hands around my face and pulling it close to his own until we are nose to nose, his forehead pressed against mine, protectively demanding my full attention. He doesn't say anything else, but his touch is soothing and my tightly wound panic begins to dissipate, though despair is left in its place. I feel my shoulders slump as my breath catches in my throat in a small sob. Leo brushes his thumbs softly across my cheeks, wiping away the wetness. Wait, am I crying?

It's still dark. I screw my eyes shut and press closer into Leo. "I can't do this, Leo. I - I can't. . . I can't." The lump in my throat constricts my voice, making it crack into something broken and pitiful.

"I know," he says softly, his voice betraying as much sadness as my own. "That's why I'm here for you. And Raph and Mikey and Sensei. So you will never, ever have to do it alone."

At the mention of Mikey's name I wonder fleetingly if Raph has found him yet. I want to go help him look, but now I know I'd only be in the way. . .

Leo wraps his arms around me again and pulls me into a proper embrace, which I return this time, relaxing slightly in the safety of my big brother's arms. It only lasts a second, though, before I hear the sound of the lab door bursting open and Master Splinter's voice calling to me. "Donatello, my son!" I guess my loud outburst a few minutes ago woke him up.

I instantly pull away from Leo and sit up straighter, turning in the direction of my father's voice to meet him with habitual respect. I hear him approach quickly and ask, "Leonardo, what happened?"

I just sit there in a crumpled mix of despair and embarrassment while Leo tries to explain the situation to Sensei. He gives the briefest possible explanation, clearly finding it difficult to speak the words.

"We ran into the Foot Clan on patrol tonight. Tiger Claw hit Donnie with some sort of powder that burned his eyes, and now he can't see."

A brief moment of silence in the perpetual darkness, as Leo hesitatingly offers the awful pronouncement. I can feel the question hanging in the air, and I know that Sensei is silently asking Leo if I'm going to be okay. And even though I can't see it, I can picture Leo giving him his resigned, there's-nothing-we-can-do head shake.

And then my father is there beside me, and I feel the brush of familiar fabric and thick fur against my face as he draws me gently toward himself. Part of me vaguely notices the soft pattering of Leo's feet leaving the lab. Sensei whispers "Oh, my son," as he wraps his arms more tightly around me and I collapse into a useless puddle in his arms.


	5. Chapter 5: Searching

_Chapter 5: Searching_

 _Raph's POV_

"Mikey!" I call loudly, but there's no answer. I look around but there's no sign of him on this rooftop, either, so I quickly jump to the next one.

When Leo took Donnie home, leaving me to find our missing brother, I honestly expected to find him in a few minutes. Actually, when Donnie started screaming earlier, I had fully expected Mikey to pop out of wherever he had been hiding to see what was wrong. I know he hates it when any of us are hurt or upset. But he didn't. And now I've been looking for him for over an hour, and the idea that he was pulling a prank on us is dwindling. Mikey can't be quiet for this long, not even for a prank.

I'm getting worried now. Something weird is going on tonight. First Mikey disappears, then Tiger Claw appears out of thin air and attacks Donnie. I hope Donnie's going to be okay. I can't _believe_ I didn't get there fast enough to protect him! I was so close! A few more seconds and I could've smashed that tiger's ugly face in before he threw that nasty stuff at my brother. In utter frustration I punch a nearby brick wall before jumping down into an alleyway, continuing my search.

Where is Mikey? I've searched the entire area around where our battle took place, and nothing. Not even a trace of him. I let out a growl and punch another building. The impact on my knuckles releases some of my frustration, but only for a moment. I pause my search for a minute beside a tall graffitied wall lined with dumpsters.

I can't believe we lost Mikey! I kick the wall as the anger builds inside me. The kid was right behind me! If anything has happened to him, I'll never forgive myself. And Donnie! I strike the wall hard with both fists. How could I let Tiger Claw get to him? I didn't protect either of them! I growl and add another kick. Some big brother I am! Punch, punch, CRACK! I feel some sort of grim satisfaction as the concrete cracks beneath my fists. That wall was asking for it.

Suddenly my T-phone rings, bringing me back to the here and now. I fish it out of my belt.

"Leo!"

"Raph, where are you? I'm coming to join you."

I'm only a couple blocks from China Town, where our battle took place, so I tell him the address. "How's Donnie?"

"We'll talk when I get there." The phone goes dead. That's not a good sign. If Donnie was fine, he would have said so.

Thankfully the spot I'm at isn't far from the lair, so it only takes Leo a few minutes to arrive. If he took any longer another wall would have gotten a beat down. The longer Mikey is missing, the more tense and worried I become. And Donnie...

"What happened to Donnie?" The words are out of my mouth the minute Leo is within hearing range. He flips down from the rooftop into the alley beside me. He doesn't answer right away, but bad news is written all over his face. I can't take the suspense. "Come on, Leo. What's wrong with him?"

"He still can't see, Raph." Leo's voice is strong but his face is all crumpled up, like he's holding back from crying. Fearless never cries. At least not in front of us.

"What? I thought that stuff would've worn off by now."

"It wasn't ordinary blinding powder, Raph. It seems to be something much worse."

Well, yeah. That much was obvious by Donnie's screams.

"Yeah, but Donnie can fix it, right?" Donnie can fix anything. The guy's a total nerd, and sure, I make fun of him for it, but there's no denying he's a complete genius. He can find solutions when the rest of us don't even fully understand the problem. I'm positive he can fix this, too.

"Not this time, Raph." Leo's voice sounds defeated, like he's given up already. "Donnie thinks the damage is permanent."

Those words hit me like a ton of bricks, and it takes a few seconds for my mind to fully grasp what that means. "What? You mean Donnie's, like, actually _blind_?"

That tense, holding-in-the-sadness look on Leo's face intensifies when I say that. I'm guessing nobody's stated it quite so bluntly yet.

That constant, familiar smolder of anger in the pit of my stomach suddenly flares up as the image of Tiger Claw throwing that sparkly stuff at Donnie's face flashes before my eyes. I tighten my fists and let out an animalistic growl. That jerk is going to pay for doing that to my brother. Oh, he is going to pay _dearly_! When I'm done with him he's not even going to recognize his own face! I will destroy every inch of him, slowly, painfully, while he begs me for mercy! And then I -

"Raph!" The satisfying image of driving my sai through Tiger Claw's one remaining eye is suddenly shattered as Leo's voice brings me back to the present. "We can get our revenge on Tiger Claw later." He obviously knows exactly what I was thinking. Wait, later? No! He needs to pay _now!_ I open my mouth to protest, but Leo is already speaking. "Right now we need to find Mikey."

Mikey! How could I have forgotten about him? I shove the thoughts of revenge into the back of my mind for now. They can simmer there and come out burning when I need them. Mikey needs me right now. Man, how could I have failed both my little brothers in one night?

"Any ideas on where to look, Fearless?" Okay, my voice came out a little sharper than I intended, but I'm still angry about what happened to Donnie, and annoyed at Mikey for being missing right when I should be out getting revenge.

Leo glares at me and his answer is frustratingly condescending. "Have you tried tracking his phone?"

My defenses bristle at his tone, and I practically shout at him, "Come on, Leo, I'm not totally useless! Of course I tried tracking his phone. The signal doesn't even show up."

Leo's face softens into an expression of concern at that. "It didn't even show up?" He immediately pulls out his own phone. He's going to check it for himself? Seriously, doesn't he trust me at all?

As expected, no signal from Mikey's phone. Leo looks genuinely worried now. "What does this mean?"

I scoff. "It probably just means that Mikey forgot to charge his phone. Again."

"No, Raph. Even when the T-phones are turned off, or out of battery, they can still be tracked."

I frown. I hadn't realized this. All this time I'd been rather desperately clinging to the hope that this was all some elaborate (and super annoying) prank that Mikey was playing on us. Suddenly the worry is becoming very real.

"I'm calling Donnie," Leo says, putting his phone to his ear.

.o0o.

 _Donnie's POV_

I wave my hand in front of my face and wiggle my fingers experimentally. No change. I'm pretty sure all the lights here in the common room are on, but it makes no difference at all. With a sigh I settle back into the cushions more comfortably and raise my T-phone to eye-level. I push the power button, hoping to catch a glimpse of the illumination from the screen, but no matter how many directions or angles I point it in, there is absolutely no change. It may as well be turned off.

Setting it down beside me, I hear a clink and realize I almost dropped it in the cup of tea Splinter left for me. I hate tea, but making it is just something Sensei always does when one of us needs comfort. I guess for that reason there is something soothing about the smell of the tea, and even the sounds of Splinter preparing it. But the cup is still sitting beside me, untouched after the one sip I took, just to be polite. Sensei tried sitting with me, asking me more details about the incident and offering some wise advice, but I don't feel ready to talk about it yet. In the end I told him I just wanted some time alone. He understood and went to bed.

Now I'm sitting here as my tea grows cold, wondering why on earth I said I wanted to be alone. I felt like I needed time to process, which I do, but the darkness feels more oppressive now that Sensei's warmth is gone. I shiver, though it isn't cold, as a creeping feeling crawls through my chest. Can I be absolutely certain I am alone? Anything could be hiding in the darkness all around me. What if. . . ? Stop! That's a completely irrational idea. Nothing can get into the lair. But still, the idea that I might not be able to tell if someone _was_ there is rather unsettling.

I shake my head and turn my thoughts in a different direction, as I listen to all the constant noises that make up the silence of the lair.

The sewer pipes make all sorts of gurgling, sloshing noises of different volumes and pitches depending on the size of the pipes and their distance from my location. There is a dripping sound somewhere outside, in the subway tunnel. The hum of electricity. The distant roar of traffic up above. If I listen hard enough, I can even hear the faint and distant sounds of people up on the surface.

The surface. For fifteen years we longed to go up there. To experience the city. To see actual people. For one glorious year we have and our lives have reached a level of excitement and purpose we'd never known before. And now it's gone. I'll never be able to go to the surface again. My brothers will have to run patrol without me. A three man team. I can't be any help to them at all.

I feel the tears threatening to fall again. I shake my head as if to banish the negativity. After all, it needn't be all that bad. For all I know, the effects of the powder may be temporary. It might wear off in a few days. Then everything will be back to normal.

Yeah, I don't actually believe this, but maybe if I just keep repeating it to myself I can avoid falling into complete despair. That's right. Positive thoughts. I have to keep my spirits up.

As the sounds of the sewer continue around me however, and nothing at all changes, this becomes difficult to do.

Maybe I should just go to bed.

But I don't. I don't want to leave this spot. I am waiting up for news about Mikey; for my brothers to come home. I won't be able to sleep until I know Mikey is okay.

The almost silence is suddenly broken by the buzzing of my T-phone vibrating on the hard floor. I snatch it up and out of habit glance at it to see who is calling. Oh right. Can't see it. I guess I'll have to find out the old fashioned way - by answering it. I pause, doubtful, for a moment, before I place my finger on the screen and swipe, hoping that I touched the answer button.

"Hello?" The phone by my ear is silent. The line is dead. Dang it. I must've hung up instead of answering. I growl in frustration and almost throw the phone across the room, but I restrain myself. I'm not Raph, after all. If that was Raph or Leo calling, they'll probably figure out what happened and call back.

Sure enough, a few seconds later my phone buzzes again. This time I'm more careful to touch the right side of the screen and my "Hello" is returned by Leo's voice.

"Hey, Donnie!"

"Leo! I'm sorry! I accidentally hung up when I meant to answer -"

"I know! It doesn't matter. Listen, Donnie, we're still trying to find Mikey."

"He's still missing?" That's really unlike Mikey. Raph's been out there looking for quite a while.

"Yeah. We tried tracking his phone, but the signal doesn't even show up. I need to know, what would cause the signal to disappear like that?"

"Well, there's really only two scenarios that would cause his signal to not appear. Either the phone was completely destroyed or it's out of range."

"Out of range? How far would he have to go to be out of range?"

"Well, when I invented the T-phones, I created our own network by tapping into the satellite -"

"Donnie! How far?" Leo interrupts me, clearly not wanting the whole explanation, just the quick answer.

"He would have to be in a very remote area. There's no way he could have gotten out of range in the amount of time he's been gone."

I can almost hear Leo's brain strategizing, coming up with possible scenarios. "What about if he's underground?"

"Leo, we _live_ underground. If our phones didn't work underground, they would be useless to us."

"Right, of course. Sorry, that was dumb. I'm just trying to figure out where he could be."

"Most likely he used the self destruct feature on the T-phone. Either intentionally or accidentally. It has happened before."

"Yeah. Okay, thanks, Donnie. We'll keep looking. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Leo. Find Mikey."

"We will. Bye."

"Bye."

I'm not fine, of course, but Leo really needs to focus on finding Mikey. What if he's been captured? I mean, the way Tiger Claw appeared behind me out of nowhere. . . maybe he did the same thing to Mikey first? Oh, I wish I could be out there! My little brother is missing and I need to find him! There might be clues on the rooftop, where Tiger Claw made his sudden appearance, if I could only investigate! But I can't. I'm stuck down here! I slam my fists into the cushions beside me, letting out a sound of frustration. I'll be stuck down here forever. Useless.

I draw my knees to my chest and hug them tight, curling in on myself. I feel small and alone in all the darkness.

I can't help scoffing derisively at myself. I should be able to handle this better. I'm a ninja. Ninjas thrive in the dark. But it's different when you're _choosing_ to be in the dark. When you know that you can come into the light at any time. This time the darkness is in control.

So much for positive thoughts. I bury my face in my knees, hoping I'll have the strength to keep the tears at bay.


	6. Chapter 6: Mistakes

_Chapter 6: Mistakes_

 _The next morning._

 _Renet's POV_

Ow. My head hurts. I blink my eyes open, but there's barely any light. What happened? Where am I? How long was I asleep? I feel seriously disoriented.

Ugh. What is that _smell_? The strong smell of rotten food and other refuse suddenly clears my brain fog and looking around in the dim light I realize I'm half sitting, half lying on a pile of garbage. Oh gross! I try to scramble to my feet but my head strikes something hard just above me. Ouch!

I rub my sore head for a second, waiting for the pain to subside. Wait, where is my helmet? It must have fallen off. . . Where am I?

I finally pause enough to take in my surroundings a bit better. I'm in a very small space, nearly filled with garbage. The walls appear to be made of metal and the roof - wait, no, it's not a roof, it's a lid! If I push it hard enough I think I can get it open. Yes! Oh, thank Valgar! Fresh air! And sunlight!

I scramble somewhat awkwardly out of the trash receptacle and land on concrete with tall buildings on every side. Where in all of space and time have I landed? I rub the back of my bare head again as I try to recall the last thing I can remember.

Let's see. . . Lord Simultaneous! He finally sent me on a mission! Yes, that's right, those time hoppers were messing with history. I was supposed to go to eighteenth century France and make sure the revolution happened on schedule. But. . .

I look around at the buildings towering above me, then down at ground level I notice some vehicles traveling past on a cross street. They are definitely not being pulled by horses. This is definitely not the eighteenth century.

I wander closer to get a better look at the street ahead. Yep, those look like cars. This must be the twentieth or twenty-first century. And this city looks like. . . I catch sight of a famous spire in the distance. New York City. Oh, grock! How did I end up here? The Time Scepter must have. . .

 _Where is the Time Scepter?_

I wheel back around and sprint toward the large trash receptacle I woke up in. I frantically search the filthy ground all around it. Nothing. Holding my breath I throw the lid open again and start rummaging inside. My clothes and hair already smell bad; another dive in the trash isn't going to do them much harm. The only thing I find is my helmet, which has a new dent in the back of it. The Time Scepter isn't here.

Don't panic, Renet. Think. Think. Think! What happened last night? Lord Simultaneous gave me the mission. He let me take the Time Scepter. He told me the exact time and place I was supposed to arrive. I remember him telling me to picture that place clearly, to think only of that place. I tried, I did. But I've been thinking a lot lately about my almost disastrous visit to the Legendary Turtle Warriors. Oh, I got into so much trouble for that! But at least it ended well. I got them all back home and defeated Romero and, grock! I'm thinking about them again! That must have been what happened. Just when I was pressing the button on the Scepter, when I was _supposed_ to be thinking only of that beautiful field near Paris in 1789, thoughts of the Turtle Warriors entered my brain instead and the Scepter took me here, to New York, in - I glance around again - well, it must be the early twenty-first century.

I remember the portal opening too high above the ground again - I keep doing that - and I remember falling. I must've landed in the trash, hit my head and been knocked out.

Oh, I am going to be in _so_ much trouble for this. I messed up my first mission! I've been waiting years for this and now I'm never going to get another chance! And the Time Scepter. . . I gasp and bring my hands involuntarily to my mouth, but I instantly whip them away again when the offending smell on them reaches my nose.

By all the moons of Neptune! I've lost the Time Scepter!

I desperately search all around the area again, but it's no use. The Time Scepter just isn't here. I can't even begin to imagine the kind of trouble I'm going to be in when I get back.

 _If_ I can get back. I suddenly realize just how much trouble I'm in _now_ , stuck centuries in the past with no way home. Oh this is bad. This is really really really bad!

No, no, no. Don't panic. You've been trained for this, Renet. Well, sort of. I take a deep breath, but immediately cough as the unpleasant scent once again assaults my nose. Alright, focus. My supplies. Of course. I came prepared.

I slip the small pack of emergency time travel supplies off my back and open it. My time traveling manual is in there, in case I need to consult it in emergencies. This is an emergency.

I pull out the manual. The tiny silver cube is surprisingly heavy. Grabbing my helmet, I shove it back on my head, though it doesn't fit comfortably any more with that dent in the back, and I press the manual into the port in the side.

Instantly the index is flitting through my brain, quick as thought.

 _How to Arrive in the Right Location._

 _What to Tell People About Time Travel._

 _What to Do if You are Captured._

 _What to Do if You Can't Find the Person You're Looking For._

 _What to Do if You End Up in the Wrong Time or Place._

Maybe that will help! I flick through the information under that heading. No, it's all just instructions on how to get the Time Scepter to take you where you want to go. What do I do if I don't _have_ the Scepter?

 _Your search produces no results._

What? What do I do if I came to the wrong place and I don't have the Time Scepter?

 _Error._ _Time travel is not possible without the Time Scepter._

Yeah, but what if I lost the Scepter?

 _Find the Time Scepter. Time travel is not possible without the Time Scepter._

Great. That's so helpful.

I pull my helmet off and remove the manual. It's right, though. I need to find the Scepter. I wonder if someone else found it and took it away? This might take a while.

I guess it's back to the basics of my training. I think back to my lessons.

First, when traveling to a time before time travel was invented, I must not let the local people know I come from the future. Most people from past cultures wouldn't believe me and would either think I was crazy or making it up. Or that I was some kind of god or something. That happened to Nigel, one of the Time Masters. He went to Ancient Greece and convinced everyone he was the god Hermes. That was pretty beneficial. But then there was that time that another Master, Esmeranda, was in the Middle Ages and correctly predicted a future event. She nearly got burned at the stake as a witch.

I shake my head. Focus, Renet.

If I'm going to try to blend in, I'm going to need different clothes. My Time Master's Assistant uniform will definitely stand out here. Besides the fact that it smells like garbage. I rummage in my pack again. Hmmm, I don't think my French peasant dress I had packed for my mission will be any less conspicuous here. I guess I'll have to buy something.

Oooh! Shopping in twenty-first century New York City! Maybe being stuck here won't be so bad after all.

.o0o.

 **AN: Hey, everybody! Okay, so I know this chapter seems like a bit of a detour, and you are all dying to find out what happened to Mikey, but I assure you that it is necessary to have this chapter right here, and I promise that you will hear from Mikey in the next one. Trust me. And stay tuned for more next week.**


	7. Chapter 7: Clues

_Chapter 7: Clues_

 _Raph's POV_

My head feels groggy as I blink slowly into waking. Something feels off. I don't normally get to wake up on my own. I've usually either got Leo pounding on my door shouting at me to get up for training, or Mikey jumping on my shell to tell me he's invented a new type of breakfast.

What time is it, anyway? I roll over and glance at the clock by my bed. What? It's almost noon! How the heck did I sleep that late? Why didn't Leo - Suddenly the events of last night come crashing into my brain. Leo and I were up all night searching the city for Mikey. We even tried sneaking in to the Shredder's lair. The tin can's in Japan right now, so that was easier than we expected, but absolutely nothing was going on there. Rahzar and FishFace hadn't even gotten back yet. We searched a bunch of the old Kraang locations, too, just in case, but we came up with nothing.

We didn't come home until the sun was coming up, and even then it was Leo's idea, not mine. I hated the idea of coming home to sleep while Mikey was still missing, even if we were dropping from exhaustion. Leo insisted, saying it was too risky to stay out after dawn while we were that tired. We needed to use the daylight hours to rest up so we had the energy to fight whatever enemy had taken Mikey, when we found him. And anyway, we still had absolutely no leads on where he might be. I knew Leo was right, but I fought him on the issue anyway, as a matter of principle. Eventually, though, we came home and crashed. I guess that's why Sensei let us sleep in.

Well, now I'm rested, so it's time to get back out there and look for my little brother. I heave myself out of bed, tie my mask on, and head out the door in search of breakfast.

As I pass through the lair, I notice the crumpled, empty blankets on the cushions in the pit. Donnie was asleep there when Leo and I came back from our search. It looked like he had been waiting up for us but fell asleep before we got home. Rather than waking him, Leo just covered him with a blanket and let him be. Apparently he's awake now. Yep, I can hear voices coming from the kitchen.

"So, you searched everywhere in China Town, and even went to the Shredder's lair?" Donnie sounds worried.

"Yeah," says Leo, defeated. "But we didn't even find a _clue_! I don't know what to do next, Donnie."

As I reach the doorway of the kitchen, I see Donnie sitting at the table with toast and coffee in front of him and a worried frown on his face. Leo is beside him, calmly eating a bowl of cereal. The scene looks so _normal_. I feel my heart leap up. Maybe. . . maybe the stuff wore off. Maybe Donnie's okay?

"Hey, Raph," Donnie says in a melancholy voice. His face looks _towards_ me, but his eyes don't look right _at_ me. Aaaaaand my heart plummets again.

"'Mornin', Donnie," I answer, coming into the room. Okay, I haven't seen him since last night's incident and I know I should probably say something about. . . that. But I don't know what to say. Asking him how he's doing sounds stupid because obviously he's not doing well. Damn, I've never been good at the whole comforting thing. In the end I just opt for the pretend-like-nothing-happened approach.

"So, Leo, ready to go out and keep looking?"

Leo's just sitting there, eating his cereal. He looks way too calm and someone else might think he doesn't care much about what happened to our brothers, but I know him better than that. I can see his calmness is just a mask. He's worried sick about them, too, but he's trying to keep up the appearance of a cool and collected leader. Frankly, it annoys the crap out of me when he does that.

"Good morning, Raph."

"Come on, Leo, forget breakfast. We've got a brother to find." A moment ago I had been planning on getting breakfast myself, but Leo's calm charade put me on edge and I feel the need for action.

"We can't go now, Raph. It's broad daylight." Leo says this like it's the final decision, but I can see it's bugging him to stay here, too. If I get under his shell enough, I can convince him to go.

"Do you think I care if a few humans spot us and freak out? This is our _brother_ we're talking about!" I raise my voice as the frustration starts to boil inside me.

Then my nerdiest brother surprises me by siding with me in our argument. "Leo, don't you think finding Mikey is worth the risk of being seen?"

I smile as I see Leo starting to cave. But he still has his trump card to play, and I know exactly what's coming next.

"But Master Splinter said - "

"Shut it, Leo! I _know_ Master Splinter told us to wait until dark, but if you think I'm just gonna sit on my butt all day while Mikey is out there - "

 _ **da-da da-da DA-da**_

My shouting is interrupted by the triple jangle of all three of our T-phones going off at the same time. Must be a mass text. Leo and I whip out our phones. It's from Mikey!

Leo reads it aloud so Donnie can hear. "'Hey, dudes, I'm at the corner of Eastman and Laird. Could you come get me?'

"Hey! He's okay! He's back on the grid." Leo is smiling and I understand that all his previous reasons for staying in the lair today just evaporated. I stand to leave when Donnie asks an important question.

"Why does he ask us to come get him? Is he hurt?"

I had been so excited to hear from Mikey that I hadn't thought of that. Leo sends a quick text, apparently asking Mikey the same thing. A few seconds later his phone dings with a response and he frowns at it. "He says 'yep'."

That's it. Someone is _definitely_ getting a beat down today! "Come on, Leo! What are we waiting for?"

"Hold on, Raph. What if it's a trap?"

Not this again! Leo's always suspecting a trap. "So what if it is? We'll bust up whoever's hurt Mikey and get him out of there."

Leo shakes his head. "No, I mean, what if this isn't even Mikey? What if it's an enemy who took his phone and is just telling us exactly the thing that will lure us into a trap?"

I growl in frustration. We're wasting time here.

"Well, we can find out," puts in Donnie. "Just ask him to tell you something only Mikey would know."

I tap my foot impatiently as Leo sends the request. Several agonizing seconds are passing. No response yet. Seriously, we need to leave _now_! Just as I'm about to explode and run off without Leo, his T-phone jingles again.

"'Okay,'" Leo reads aloud. "'You know that magazine that Raph's been missing for a couple weeks?'" That gets my attention. "'I accidentally baked it into a pizza. I didn't want him to find out, so I stashed it above the pipes in the kitchen ceiling.'"

Leo and I stare at each other in disbelief for a moment while Donnie says, "He accidentally _baked_ it into a _pizza_? How does that even happen?"

Without a word, Leo stands up on the table so he can reach the pipes in the ceiling. He gropes along them for a moment, and then suddenly stops, his face scrunched in disgust. He brings his hand down, and stuck to it is a gooey, moldy glob that was once a part of my prize collection. I stare open mouthed at it for a moment. Oh, Mikey is so dead. I mean, first we're going to find him and make sure he's okay, and then I'm gonna pummel him.

"Gross!" Leo tosses the mess into the trash can and washes his hands.

"I take it you found it?" questions Donnie.

"Yep," answers Leo. "It's definitely Mikey."

"I hope his injuries aren't too bad." Donnie looks concerned.

"If they aren't yet, they will be," I say, cracking my knuckles. Both my brothers smile, knowing full well this means I'm relieved we know where he is.

"Alright, Raph, let's go." Leo's in full leader mode again. "Donnie, you stay here, you know, just in case. . . " He falters, unable to think of the right thing to say.

"You don't have to come up with a fake excuse, Leo," Donnie says grimly. "I know why I can't come."

"Right, well, um, we'll be back as soon as we can."

I roll my eyes at Leo's awkwardness and rush him out of the lair. Mikey, here we come!

.o0o.

 **AN: And next time, I promise you'll get Mikey's POV!**


	8. Chapter 8: Scratched

**AN: Guys, check out the cover image for my story! This gorgeous piece was made by Spirael, and you can see the full version on her account on deviantart. I love it so much!**

 **Also, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has favorited and reviewed my story. Your reviews mean the world to me and they have really encouraged me to keep writing, so thank you very much! You guys are awesome!**

 **And now, without further ado, the Mikey chapter you've all been waiting for!**

 **.o0o.**

 _Chapter 8: Scratched_

 _The night before, during the battle..._

 _Mikey's POV_

Okay, so maybe I messed up a little and ruined Raph and Leo's ambush, but hey, it's not like we can't take these two losers down. Who needs the element of surprise? Raph's already doing some damage to slimy FishFace and Leo is charging Rahzar.

I twirl my nunchucks and prepare to join the attack. Beating up that creepy dog makes me happy. We have a special relationship. He pretended to be my friend only to stab me in the back, and now I pound on him whenever I get the chance. As long as my brothers are around. He _is_ a six foot werewolf mutant with ridiculous strength and super sharp claws, after all.

I leap into the air and - whoa! Where did all those Footbots come from? Guess Rahzar will have to wait his turn for a beat down tonight.

As I smash in the head of the closest bot with a smooth nunchuck twirl I share a knowing glance with Donnie and he nods. Since our older brothers are a bit busy with the two freakazoids over there, he and I will kick butt on these sorry excuses for ninjas. He's got my back and I've got his.

Nunchuck in the jaw and Footbot number two is down. And now a fancy spin with a kick at the end and number three is broken on the rooftop. I just love the way they spark and twitch when they get smashed.

Hey! Who do you think you are, trying to sneak up behind me? I'm a ninja, dude!

"Yeah, that's right, your face is no match for my hot nunchuck fury!"

I glance over at Donnie, and he's already got like five bots lying on the ground around him. He lets the blade out of his bo with a cool _shing_ sound and stabs it into the neck of one of the bots. I think his weapon is way cooler when he does that. And ha! I totally kicked that Footbot in the chest without even _looking_ at him! Yeah, we are on fire tonight!

Only a few bots left. Donnie totally has two of them taken care of and the third one is - hey! Where do you think you're going? Running off to get a few more buddies? Oh no, you don't! I dive over the edge of the rooftop after the runaway robot and tuck into a roll to make my landing easier.

Whoa! I'm surprised by a flash of super bright light beneath me. Where did that come from? And as I hit the ground and jump to my feet in one smooth motion I'm surprised to see - Rahzar? Wait, wasn't he just fighting with Leo a second ago? And he's with Tiger Claw and Stockman and - FishFace?

"Dudes! Where did you guys come from?"

All my least favorite mutants are standing here, staring at me like I just grew another head or something. Well, okay, not _all_ my least favorite mutants. I also hate Bebop and Rocksteady and Snakeweed and Spider Bytez and whoa, wait a second, where am I?

I take a split second to glance around at all the sciency stuff, and the thirty foot mutagen chamber, and those big cages along the wall with the glass in the front like the ones at the zoo. Something in my heart feels tight when I remember finding Sensei trapped in one of those. I wheel back around to face my enemies.

"Hey, Dexter Stickman! How'd I get in your lab? A second ago I was fighting Footbots on the rooftops!"

I'm expecting Stockman to gloat over me and tell me in his horrible buzzy voice just how he managed to get me across town in the blink of an eye, but he doesn't. He doesn't even bother to tell me his name is _Baxter Stockman_ for the hundredth time. He's just staring at me. Or maybe at Tiger Claw. Or maybe at both of us. It's actually kind of hard to tell which way he's looking with those freaky big bug eyes. Can he see what's going on behind him? Ooh, it would be cool to have eyes like that when I'm being Turflytle! Then no one could sneak up behind me because I'd totally see them coming! Not that anyone _can_ sneak up behind me. My ninja senses are way too good for –

"Well, well, well, look who decided to join us!" Rahzar's deep scratchy voice is seriously creepy. Looks like these guys have gotten over their shock of seeing me appear suddenly. I'm not sure _I've_ gotten over it yet, though. Where are my brothers? A quick glance behind me and – oh! There's a big shiny doorway in the air! Well, that would explain the bright light and my sudden jump to the other side of the city. No brothers in sight, though. As the four mutants advance on me (well, three actually because FishFace's legs are all busted up – thank you, Raph!) I decide I definitely don't want to fight them all on my own. These guys are definitely not going to let me out of this lab with my life, so back through the portal it is!

I turn to make a leap for it, my nunchucks still in my hands, when Tiger Claw suddenly blocks my path. That guy's fast!

"Where did you come from, turtle?"

"What? Through the portal, duh! Didn't you just see that happen a few seconds ago?" My chucks are twirling now, because Tiger Claw isn't going to give me an easy escape. I'm still aware of the other bad guys behind me, too, so I won't let them sneak up on me.

"Where does the portal lead?"

Wait, doesn't he know? I thought these guys made the portal. "Um, back to the rooftop where I was fighting, I guess. Did Rahzar and FishFace come through, too? We were just fighting them a minute ago."

Tiger Claw glances at the two mutants in question, a surprised look on his face. Will someone please tell me what is going on? All this confusing talk is putting me on edge. These guys usually attack first, talk later. I guess I'm the one who's going to have to attack first if I want to get past Tiger Claw and jump through that portal.

"Booyakasha!" My battle cry helps me feel stronger when I'm surrounded by bad guys who are all bigger than me. I leap at Tiger Claw, hoping to use him as a springboard into the portal. Aaah, no! He's blocked me with – wait, is that what I think it is?

He swings the weapon at me, but I totally dodge it with a somersault and roll back onto my feet facing him. Yes, it is! He's holding the Time Scepter! I glance up at the portal then over at battle-scarred Rahzar and FishFace and it finally clicks. That's not just a portal, that's a time portal! I must be a few hours in the future or something, after our battle was done.

"Dude!" I point accusingly at Tiger Claw. "Where did you get that Time Scepter? That belongs to Renet!" Suddenly a horrible idea occurs to me. "What did you do to Renet?"

Tiger Claw looks at me in surprise. "A Time Scepter?" He looks at the Scepter with interest, then up at the portal. "Of course! You must have opened up a portal to your battle last night." He's not talking to me, he's talking to Rahzar. And he's not blocking my path to the portal anymore. I should go, but – I have to know.

"Tiger Claw!" I shout at him and he spins back to look at me again. "What have you done with Renet?" I glare at him and spin my chucks threateningly.

Tiger Claw raises a confused eyebrow at me. "I don't care who Renet is, but what do you know about this Time Scepter?" Suddenly he lunges at me. Aw shell, there goes my chance to escape.

I duck to the left to avoid a face full of angry tiger, only to see Rahzar rushing at me, too.

"Finally! Enough talking! I owe this turtle a few bruises!"

I'm about to remind him that it was actually Leo that gave him those bruises tonight (or last night, or whatever it is now) but I'm too busy dodging his spiky foot aimed at my mouth. Okay, I'm not going to admit it to these creeps, but I'm officially scared now. There's no way I can take on both Rahzar and Tiger Claw at the same time. My best bet is to dodge them and try to get back to the portal.

That first part is easy. Being quick on my feet is what I do best. But the second part, not so much. They obviously know what I'm trying to do and are heading me off in the opposite direction.

As I dodge a powerful swing from Tiger Claw and counter with a whack to his nose, I realize he's backed me near a table covered in Stockman's experiments. As the tiger assassin reels a few paces backwards, I take that moment to give my attention to the mutant dog standing in front of the table. He's holding a small sack of something and wearing an evil grin that makes me gulp. As he reaches into the sack, I hear Stockman buzzing, "No! That dust is extremely rare and -"

"- Very dangerous!" Rahzar cuts him off, still grinning. He pulls his hand out of the bag and his bony claws are covered in some sort of powder. It's purple and sparkly and it glitters as some of it falls to the floor.

"Bahaha! That's your dangerous weapon, Rahzar? Fairy dust? What are you going to do, sprinkle it on me and make me fly?" I love taunting this dog. He always takes the bait, and it helps me to forget that I'm terrified of him, even if his claws are now sparkling purple.

"Wait and see!" he growls, lunging toward me.

I move quickly out of the way, dodging this way and that. Thankfully Tiger Claw seems to have abandoned the fight for a moment, as if he's waiting to see how this turns out. I dodge another blow and manage to get in a few strikes with my nunchucks on the skeleton dog's shoulders, but it doesn't stop him. He's nearly got me in a corner between a wall and one of Stockman's work tables, but I am _not_ going to panic. I'm not scared of him! I'm _not_!

"Hey, Bradford! How's your mom like your werewolf look? I bet she thinks it's an improvement, too!" Okay, making him mad probably isn't the smartest idea right now, but it does make me feel braver.

"That's it," growls Rahzar, "I'm going to silence that obnoxious voice of yours once and for all!" He swings at my neck with his claws, the ones all covered in sparkly fairy dust.

I try to flip backwards out of his way but realize too late that I'm completely backed against the wall, and I only manage to move a few inches before his claws are on me. Oh shell! He's going to slit my throat! No, I manage to move just enough. His claw only grazes me, leaving a tiny scratch at the base of my throat. Not waiting for a counter strike, I duck down and roll under the table beside me, coming up to a crouch on the other side.

That was _close_! Thank goodness he only managed a small scratch. It's barely bleeding and doesn't even hurt. Well, okay, it stings a bit, but I – Ow! Okay, more than a bit.

"Aaaugh!" I'm clutching my throat and gasping for breath because that really, _really_ hurts! What the shell is that stuff? It's definitely not fairy dust! Ow! _Ow_! Evil fairy dust! It feels like my whole throat is on fire and squeezing shut! Can't breathe! Can't breathe! I'm gonna _die_!

Through the haze of pain and panic that my throat just closed up on me, I am aware that my enemies are all standing around me watching. Rahzar is still grinning. Spots start to dance in front of my eyes as the lack of air hits my brain. I'm on my knees now. I'm gonna black out in another second. I'm gonna -

GASP! Finally! The muscles in my throat suddenly relax. I take in huge gulps of air. Sweet, sweet air! I guess I'm not going to die tonight! Well, hopefully not, because I suddenly realize that my enemies are less than pleased with my sudden recovery.

Rahzar growls loudly. "He's breathing again! That stuff was supposed to kill him!"

Ha! Sorry to disappoint you. I would like to stay on my hands and knees and just breathe for a little longer, but I doubt my enemies will be kind enough to let me. I leap to my feet instead and stare down Rahzar, who's crouching to spring at me again.

"You can't take this turtle down so easily, Dog-face!" I shout at him. Well, at least I try to. I don't get more than three words in before I realize that absolutely no sound is coming out of my mouth. I clamp it shut in surprise as the two mutants in front of me both stop and stare.

"Well, it looks like that stuff did _something_ ," chuckles Tiger Claw. He advances toward me and I gulp, swinging my chucks and looking around desperately. There _has_ to be a way to escape.

"Wait!" buzzes Stockman. Good, he's stalling for me. How can I get out of here? "Don't kill him! Make him talk again! I want to zzzzzee what effect that powder hazzzzz on him."

Yeah right, like I'm gonna stick around and be your experiment. Aha! I spot something shiny silver and familiar on Stockman's worktable. A Kraang portal device! From the looks of it, Stockman has no idea how to use it, but I didn't spend months in Dimension X for nothing. As Rahzar makes another swipe at me with his über creepy claws, I sidestep him and scrabble for the portal.

My hand seizes my prize, but in my desperation to escape, I overlooked the mostly helpless fish mutant who had been sitting on the sidelines near this particular table this whole time. By mostly helpless I mean he can't walk, but he still has his switchblade, and before I have a chance to press the button on the portal, I feel a deep slice of pain in my thigh.

My reaction is instantaneous. I clock him in his ugly fish face hard enough to knock him backwards, but I also open my mouth to scream at the suddenness of the pain from that wound. Again, no sound. My mouth is open wide in a silent scream, and this scares me more than anything that's happened so far tonight. What the shell is wrong with my voice?

Stockman and Rahzar are laughing at me. "I thought zzzzo!" cries the fly with glee. "He hazzzz no voizzze!"

Yeah, for now, maybe. Just wait until I get Donnie to help me. He's ten times smarter than all you creeps put together, and he can fix anything. I quickly get over my shock and fumble for the button on the portal in my hands. I have to leave _now!_

"Heheh, want to see that again?" FishFace has obviously recovered from my punch and is preparing to stab me again. Sorry, dudes, but the silent scream show is over.

I press the button, mentally telling the portal where to go. Instantly a pink triangle appears in the air right in front of me, and without waiting another second, I leap through it and close it behind me.


	9. Chapter 9: Silence

_Chapter 9: Silence_

 _Mikey's POV_

My eyes are struck with a blaze of sunlight and I have to squeeze them shut for a second. But once I open them and look around I can see that I landed on a rooftop exactly where I was hoping to - on the other side of the city from those creeps. I know it's dangerous to be out in the day time, but it wasn't day time a few minutes ago! And anyway, I'm pretty high up, so I doubt anyone will spot me.

I need to get home, but first I have a few injuries that need to be checked out. Sitting down on the rooftop, I take a closer look at the gash in my leg. Yikes, that's pretty deep! If my brothers were here I would probably whimper and cry about it and let them make a fuss over me 'cause I love that kind of attention, but I'm all by myself right now so I'll have to tough it out.

First thing to do is stop the bleeding. I don't have any bandages on me. Donnie's usually the one who has a first aid kit handy. My mask will have to do for now. Dang, it's not nearly big enough. Well, at least I can tie it into one of those turny-thingies - or whatever Donnie calls them - you know, tight enough to help stop the bleeding. Ow, ow, ow, ow, _ow!_

Okay, that's done. Breathe, Mikey, breathe. Now for the scary part. Is my voice really gone? I guess there's only one way to find out. I open my mouth and for a stupid second I can't think of anything to say, but in this frightening moment the first words on my tongue are my brother's names.

"Leo." I say this in a quiet, small way, just testing it out, so it would be little more than a whisper if there had actually been any sound to it. Which there wasn't.

"Donnie!" I'm calling out now in an I'm-getting-scared kind of way. Why isn't my voice working?

"RAPHIE!" That shout should have been loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear, but no. Silence reigns supreme.

I am officially panicking now. I've got to get home. Okay, now which way is home from here? Right, that way. I stand up and try to take a few steps, but _ow_! That wound in my leg hurts more than I'd like to admit. It's high time I called for backup. I snatch my T-phone out of my belt and I'm about to hit Leo's number when I remember. Oh yeah. No voice. No phone calls. Welp, mass text it is, then. As soon as I've told my brothers where I am I get into a more comfortable position to wait. They'll be here soon. They always come for me.

.o0o.

 _Leo's POV_

Run, run, run! Faster, faster, faster! Mikey's hurt! We've got to reach him before. . . anything worse happens. Raph and I are racing full pelt across the rooftops toward the corner of Eastman and Laird a few miles away. Despite our speed, we are still attempting to keep out of sight of the millions of humans that call this city home. That would be a lot easier if it wasn't broad daylight. I feel too exposed under the midday sun, with no shadows to conceal me. But that doesn't matter. All that matters is getting to Mikey.

We are getting close now, and neither Raph nor I have spoken a word, both completely focused on reaching our baby brother as quickly as possible. At last we pause on a rooftop near the designated intersection and scan the surrounding buildings systematically.

"There!" Raph points to the highest rooftop across the street. No one else would ever notice, but our trained eyes can pick up the familiar glimpse of green that is the top of Mikey's head peeking over the parapet bordering the roof. In less time than it takes to say it, we are on top of that building and crouching in front of my little brother who greets us with a forced smile, but doesn't try to stand.

I can see why. The first thing I notice is blood. I've been trained to handle injuries and not to blanch at the sight of blood, but it's always different when the blood is my brother's. A touch of fear and panic rises in my chest, but not enough to muddle my thinking. I immediately assess the situation and realize the blood is coming from a large gash in Mikey's left thigh. All this I take in in one second, and in the next I'm right beside Mikey, gingerly running my fingertips over the injury while at the same time glancing over him to see if there is any other damage.

Raph is on Mikey's other side, and he hands me the first aid kit before I even have to ask for it, while he engages our little brother's attention.

"Hey, Mikey," he says in a gentle voice, placing a hand on our little brother's shoulder. "Leo's gonna patch up your leg, okay? Are you hurt anywhere else?"

I keep one eye on Mikey's face, waiting for his answer, as my hands start to wrap a clean bandage around his thigh. This wound is deep. He's going to need stitches. We'll have to get him back to Don- oh right. Maybe I'll have to do it. Still need to get him home first, though.

Mikey's not answering Raph. His face is contorted in a grimace of pain, which is partly my fault. "Sorry, Mikey. I'm almost done."

As I continue to tie the bandage, Raph grasps Mikey's chin and deliberately turns his face away from the wound to look into his eyes. "Mikey," he says slowly, determined to keep his attention. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

Still Mikey doesn't answer, but I see tears spring suddenly to his eyes and he lightly touches his throat. Raph takes a closer look as I finish up the bandage on his leg.

"What, _this_?" Raph sounds incredulous. "Oh come on, Mikey, that's barely even a scratch! I said are you _hurt_?"

To my surprise, the tears begin to spill rapidly down Mikey's cheeks as he cries harder, clearly in great distress. Something seems really off about this reaction and I glance at Raph, who looks bewildered as well. I half expect him to whack Mikey upside the head to knock the hysterics out of him, but thankfully Raph is keeping a cool head for once and doesn't risk injuring Mikey further before we figure out what's wrong.

I grab Mikey's shoulders firmly, and gently shake him to get him to look my way. "Michelangelo!" The use of his full name seems to bring him round a bit, as I hoped it would. At least he seems to be giving me his complete attention. "Calm down. You need to tell us what's wrong, okay?"

Mikey sniffs, hiccups, then nods. I release him as he opens his mouth to say something. Raph and I look on in confusion as Mikey's lips move, forming words, but no sound escapes his mouth.

"What the heck? What's wrong with his voice?" Raph asks me, as if I have the answer.

I just shake my head. Mikey's face takes on a look of desperation, and he points again to the small scratch on his throat.

Raph raises an eye ridge. "There's no way a scratch that small could make him lose his voice."

Raph is still addressing me, searching for answers. I wish I had them! This is usually the point at which I hand the situation over to Donnie. I could seriously use his medical advice right now.

I'm just thinking maybe I should call Donnie and tell him the situation over the phone, but before I can act on it, Mikey has already pulled out his own T-phone and started to send a text.

"Mikey, who are you texting? Donnie?"

Mikey shakes his head. Suddenly both my phone and Raph's jingle. Oh! He was texting us!

 _ **Rahzar scrachd me with purpl fary dust & now i cant tak **_

I look up at Mikey. "Purple fairy dust?" He nods.

"Wait," puts in Raph. "Was it like a sparkly powder, all shiny and stuff?"

Another nod from Mikey.

Raph glances at me, horrified. "Leo, you don't think it was the same stuff they got Donnie with, do you?"

I see Mikey's eyes go wide and he's frantically texting again.

"I don't know," I answer Raph. "Possibly."

 _ **da-da da-da DA-da**_

 _ **thay got donnie 2? is he ok? can he not tak 2?**_

Mikey's desperate, pleading face adds expression to his text.

"Um, he can still talk. . . " begins Raph, rubbing the back of his neck nervously as he thinks about how to tell Mikey the bad news.

"Look," I interrupt. "We'll have plenty of time for full explanations later. Right now we need to get Mikey home quickly so we can stitch up his leg and get a better look at his throat." I turn to my youngest brother. "Mikey, don't worry, we'll do everything we can to fix this."

 _That wasn't a lie_ , I tell myself as Raph helps Mikey onto his back to carry him home. We _will_ do everything we can. I just hope it's enough.

.o0o.

 _Tiger Claw's POV_

"Stop him!" I shout at Bradford as the miserable young turtle opens a Kraang portal unexpectedly. The mutant dog makes a lunge at him, but misses him by inches as the turtle leaps through the portal and it closes behind him. Bradford growls in frustration as his claws close on thin air.

The incompetent fool! That's the second time in twelve hours that he has failed to dispose of the turtles. The little brat escaped again, right from under our noses, and now he could be anywhere! I let out an angry growl. I do not like it when my prey escapes.

Bradford is muttering a string of curses against the infernal turtles as Xever screams at Stockman to get back to work on his legs. A glow to my left draws my attention in that direction and I turn to see that the time portal is still open, hanging invitingly in the air. I stride toward it with sudden resolve and determination. We may have lost the youngest turtle, but we know exactly where to find the other three.

"Hey, where are you going?" Bradford's accusing voice causes me to pause.

"I am going to fix the mistakes you made last night," I snap at him.

He glances up at the portal. "What, through there?"

"Obviously. Are you coming?"

Bradford takes a step backward. "No way. I'm not jumping through some mysterious unknown portal."

I scoff and turn away. I have no time for cowards. It is time to seek my revenge for all the trouble these wretched turtles have caused me. I move once more toward the portal when I am again stopped by Bradford.

"Wait!" he calls out and I growl warningly at him. He doesn't seem to notice.

"If you're going after the turtles, take this!" He tosses me the pouch of the bizarre powder he used against the young turtle.

"Why would I want this? It barely harmed the turtle."

"That's because I only got him with a tiny bit," argues Bradford. "You saw what happened to that lab rat earlier. Try throwing a whole handful in the turtles' faces and see what happens. Even if it doesn't kill them, it should be interesting to watch."

Maybe he's got a point. I tuck the pouch into my belt. This stuff is dangerous, though, and I'm not willing to take any chances, so I quickly pull my pair of gloves from my pack and slip them on before turning once more and jumping through the glowing portal.


	10. Chapter 10: Home

**AN: Hey, guys! So there was some confusion about Tiger Claw's destination at the end of the last chapter, so I guess I didn't write it very clearly. So if you weren't sure, Tiger Claw leaped back through the same time portal that Mikey fell through, which led TC to the end of the battle the night before, where he would find Donnie alone on the rooftop and throw the powder in his face. Does that make sense now? Sorry for the confusion. And now, back to the turtles!**

 _Chapter 10: Home_

 _Raph's POV_

Gotta get Mikey home. Gotta get Mikey home.

Splash! Splash! The wet sound of my feet and Leo's echoing off the tunnel walls is all I can hear as we run through the sewers. It's not nearly enough noise. I should be hearing the annoying jokes and explosive laughter of my little brother, but he's not making any sound at all as he clings to my shell. Every now and then I have to call over my shoulder, "Hey, Mikey, you okay?" just to make sure he's still awake. Each time he taps my shell with his finger to let me know he's still with us.

Faster. Faster. I gotta get him home.

If we can get him home, everything'll be fine. It always is. When one of us gets hurt, we bring him home, Donnie fixes him up, and everything is fine again.

But Donnie is. . . What if he can't. . . ? If it really was that same purple powdery stuff that got Donnie, could it have made Mikey lose his voice for good? What if it will always be too quiet now? What if . . . ? NO! There's gotta be something Donnie can do about it, right? Even if he can't see, he's still a genius and he _always_ fixes _everything_. They can't both be stuck like this. They just can't.

I spare a glance at Leo, running beside me. It's dark in here, but I can still make out his face. He's frowning, like he's thinking hard about something that's worrying him. Bet his thoughts are following the same track as mine.

He must sense me looking at him because he turns and our eyes meet. Yep, he's thinking about our brothers, too. And about revenge. Silent understanding passes between us. This isn't over. Those freaks are gonna be sorry they ever messed with our family.

I feel a tap on my shoulder. "Yeah, what is it, Mikey?"

He reaches his arm around my neck so I can see the T-phone in his hand.

 _ **When r u gonna tell me what happend 2 donnie?**_

"What did he say?" asks Leo.

"He wants to know what happened to Donnie."

Leo sighs in a sad kind of way. He and I have an unspoken rule that, whenever possible, we spare Mikey from harsh news. But of course, this isn't something we can spare him from. He's going to find out as soon as we get home, and we'd better tell him first so it's not so much of a shock.

I can sense Leo trying to think up the most delicate way to say it, but delicate has never been my way. I speak up before Leo makes up his mind.

"He's blind."

I can feel Mikey stiffen on my back and I hear his sharp intake of breath. Beside me Leo mutters, "Nice, Raph. Way to break it to him gently."

A second later the phone is shoved in my face again.

 _ **WHAT DO U MEAN?**_

I sigh and let Leo take over. I decide to concentrate on shifting Mikey's weight without jostling his leg too much. I can feel him growing tense as Leo recounts last night's events to him. The flames of anger flare up in my chest again as I'm reminded of the horrible scene on that rooftop. Donnie's screams echo in my head and once more I see his scared expression as his eyes stare out at nothing.

And now Mikey is sitting all too silent on my back and everything is so _wrong!_

Leo finishes the story just as we reach the turnstiles. I lower Mikey to the ground to help him through them and I see his eyes are all shiny, like he's preparing to cry. He only glances at me, though, before quickly scanning the room and locking onto Donnie who is getting up from the bench in the pit where he was sitting beside Sensei.

"Raph! Leo!" Donnie calls out. "Did you find Mikey?"

Before either of us can answer, Mikey, completely ignoring the wound in his leg, takes a leap at Donnie and tackles him to the ground in a massive hug. Donnie yelps in surprise, but then chuckles with relief when he realizes who it is. Hugging Mikey back, he says, "I'm glad you're okay, Mikey." Mikey only wraps his arms tighter around Donnie's neck and buries his face in his shoulder with a loud sniff.

I just stand there for a moment, unsure what to do. I'm aware of Leo giving Sensei an explanation, but I'm not really listening to him. Sensei looks relieved to see Mikey apparently okay, but as Leo talks, his ears suddenly droop and he looks quickly at Mikey as his face goes from relieved to worried.

Mikey is still sniffling into Donnie's shoulder, and Donnie's confused expression softens to concern as he gently rubs Mikey's shell. "Hey, Mikey, what's wrong?" he asks. "Are you hurt?"

Of course Mikey doesn't say anything, and Donnie grabs him by the shoulders and pulls him away from himself a little to try and get his attention. "Mikey? Come on, what's wrong?"

Leo just watches them, looking sadder than I've seen him in a long time. I can't take this!

"Mikey can't talk, Donnie," I say, just to save him from making that awkward one-sided conversation any longer than it needed to be.

Donnie looks shocked. "What? What do you mean?"

"He got hit with the same purple stuff you did and now he can't talk."

By the time Donnie's face freezes into a stunned look of horror, Splinter is there, comforting Mikey. And Leo is still just standing around looking depressed. I feel like I'm gonna suffocate.

"Come on, Mikey," I say loudly, breaking the sad tension in the room. "We need to get you into the lab and patch up your leg."

That brings everyone round. Mikey lets go of Donnie who is instantly running his hands down Mikey's leg, feeling for the wound. "Your leg is hurt? Why didn't anyone say anything? Is it bad?"

Leo moves forward to guide them both into the lab along with Sensei. I follow behind them. There are going to be a lot of long explanations to exchange here.

.o0o.

 _Master Splinter's POV_

After supporting my youngest son and helping him into Donatello's lab, I take a seat out of the way, yet near enough that he can still see me, leaving his injury in the capable hands of my other sons.

Michelangelo glances once at me, as if to make sure I am still nearby, and I nod reassuringly at him. Outwardly I maintain an appearance of calm stability, but deep within, where my sons cannot see, my mind is in turmoil. I will need many long meditation sessions to process all that has happened, but that will come later. Right now I must focus on Michelangelo, so I force my attention onto the scene at hand.

Raphael, like myself, is maintaining his distance, knowing full well that too many people crowded around the examination table will only make the procedure more difficult, but he is watching his youngest brother with a fiercely protective stare.

Leonardo has begun taking off the hastily tied bandage on Michelangelo's leg, and Donatello, used to being the one in control of these situations, is hovering around in a state of frantic agitation.

"What happened, Leo? What's wrong with Mikey's leg? How bad is it?"

I can see his fingers flex as if itching to examine the wound himself, but he restrains himself and lets Leonardo finish removing the bandage.

"It's a deep cut in his thigh," Leonardo explains. "It looks like it's going to need stitches, but otherwise isn't too bad. I don't know how he got it. We haven't heard the full story yet."

"Did it sever the femoral artery?" asks Donatello in concern.

"How would I tell if it did?" Leonardo appears unsure.

"Well, I suppose it couldn't have, because he would be bleeding profusely and probably have passed out by now."

As his brothers continue to discuss his condition, I see Michelangelo open his mouth a few times and then shut it again, clearly wishing he could interject and say something. The sight brings a stab of pain into my guarded heart. Since his first cheerful baby babbles, Michelangelo's voice has brought color and laughter into our isolated lives. I cannot imagine our home without it. I can only pray this is temporary.

As Leonardo takes out a needle and thread and begins to stitch the wound, under the occasional careful instruction of Donatello, the three boys begin to question Michelangelo about his experience, effectively taking his distraught mind off the painful task at hand.

Michelangelo responds to many of their questions by sending text messages to Raphael's phone, which Raphael then reads aloud for the benefit of everyone.

As his story unfolds, one piece at a time, I am somewhat surprised and intrigued by the mention of an object which can apparently open a portal through time. I have never heard of such a thing before, but judging by the shouts of recognition from my other three sons, I am the only one who has not. I shall have to ask them about that later.

"Well, that explains why Mikey's T-phone couldn't be tracked," puts in Donatello after Michelangelo told how he had fallen through a portal into the future. "His phone literally didn't exist for several hours."

Leonardo has finished stitching the wound and is applying a new bandage by the time Michelangelo finishes the painstakingly slow process of telling his story through text messaging.

After commending Michelangelo on his inspired use of a Kraang portal as a means of escape, Donatello asks Leonardo to take a closer look at the cut on Michelangelo's throat. I lean forward a bit at that, hoping to hear an explanation for the loss of my son's voice.

Michelangelo obligingly tilts his head back so that Leonardo can inspect it more thoroughly.

"I don't know what to tell you, Donnie," says Leonardo after a moment. "It's just a very shallow scratch at the base of his throat. I don't think it bled much. It doesn't even need a Band-Aid."

I can see the expectation in Michelangelo's eyes as he looks toward Donatello, awaiting a diagnosis.

Donatello is deep in thought, his hand on his chin and his brow furrowed. "Well, now we know for sure that this purple dust is more than just a devastatingly effective blinding powder. If it can affect such vastly differing functions as vision and voice, it must target something they both have in common. Perhaps it damages nerves? Maybe whichever nerves it comes into contact with?"

"Is that a _question_?" Raph blurts out fiercely, startling Donatello out of his reverie. "Come on, Donnie, you're supposed to have _answers_!"

Affronted, Donatello cries out incredulously, " _What_? How on earth am I supposed to have answers to this, Raph?"

"I don't know! You always have the answers! You always know how to fix everything!" Although these statements are made aggressively, I can see that Raphael is not angry. He is desperate. He has the frantic look about him of one whose entire world is crashing down around him and he is clinging wildly to one shred of familiar stability.

Donatello, however, unable to see the desperation in Raphael's face, seems to take this attack as a direct insult to his intelligence.

"Well, I _don't_ know, Raph!" he shouts angrily. "Not this time. I don't know any more about that powder than you do, and I don't see _you_ coming up with any brilliant solutions! In case you don't remember, the only glimpse I got of the stuff was one flash of purple before everything dissolved into pain and _darkness_!"

I stand up quickly, about to intervene before this argument escalates further, but Leonardo is there first.

"Guys!" he says, calmly but loudly, stepping between the frantic Raphael and the incensed Donatello. "This isn't helping. Raph, chill out. Shouting at Donnie won't make a solution appear faster. And Donnie, calm down. We're not expecting a miracle from you. We'll figure this out together, okay?"

Leonardo glances at me and I nod my head approvingly. As I move toward the door, I say clearly, "I am going to make some tea. If you are finished patching up Michelangelo, I suggest we all move to a more comfortable place to continue this discussion."

An obedient chorus of "Hai, Sensei" follows these words as I exit the lab and head for the kitchen.

Tea. I feel we could all use some tea to calm our nerves.

As I go about the familiar steps of making the tea, I allow my mind to wander back to my sons and our current predicament. My heart aches for my two youngest. If it does, in fact, prove impossible to reverse the effects of that horrible substance, then they will have some difficult days ahead of them. We will all have much adjusting to do.

After setting the kettle on the stove, I begin to pull teacups out of the cupboard.

And my older two sons. . . I cannot pretend that I did not notice the looks of understanding that passed between Raphael and Leonardo when the attacks on their brothers were being discussed. I know that they will not let these assaults go unanswered. They will want revenge. Could I expect anything less? After all, it is I who have filled their heads with grand ideas of honor and justice. As their ninja master, I understand their thirst for vengeance. I can feel it burning inside myself.

But they are my children. They are so young. As their father, I cannot bear to risk losing them.

The kettle whistles shrilly and I pour the hot water into the teapot.

I could tell them not to go; forbid them from leaving the lair. But how long will that last? They are young, yes, but they have grown much. They came home from the farmhouse possessing a new maturity. Gone are the days when I could keep them safe underground simply by telling them not to venture to the surface.

As the tea leaves steep, the aromatic scent reaches my nostrils, bringing with it a soothing sense of familiarity.

Leonardo in particular has grown. The time they spent in my absence has pushed him further into his role of leader than I expected him to be at this age. I have seen it in the way they interact. His brothers do not follow him simply because _I_ appointed him leader, but because he has _earned_ that title. He no longer looks to me for advice on every little thing, but has the confidence to make his own decisions. Never again will my most obedient child follow my every order without question.

I know that if, out of fear for their safety, I forbid the boys from leaving the lair, they will obey only as long as Leonardo does. Should he decide to ignore the order and seek revenge anyway, Raphael will surely follow.

I pour the hot tea carefully into the five cups and lift the tray to carry it to the living room.

No, I can no longer keep them here by a mere word. But that doesn't mean I cannot try.


	11. Chapter 11: Shopping

_Chapter 11: Shopping_

 _Renet's POV_

I rush to the first clothing store I see. I've got to get out of this smelly uniform! At least, I think this is a clothing store. There are clothes on display in the window. I pause outside the door, waiting for it to open.

A woman behind me gives me a very odd look, then steps past me, grabs the door handle and pulls the door open before going inside the shop. Oh right. Manual door. I grab the door after the woman and step inside.

Yes! Definitely a clothing store. There's racks of clothes all over the place. I love traveling to time periods where there are actual shops. It's so much fun to pick things out for yourself. Now what to buy? I just need something basic. I glance around at the other shoppers, trying to get an idea of what other women are wearing. I don't want to get the wrong thing and end up looking ridiculous. The point here is to blend in.

I quickly select a shirt from a nearby rack. It's blue and a little ruffly and looks quite pretty. All eyes in the store seem to be on me, and I am awkwardly aware of the stares. I hope they're staring at me because of the way I'm dressed (or the way I smell), and not because of the clothes I'm picking.

I look around and see some women nearby browsing through a rack of pants. Wait! I know what those pants are! Those are jeans! Those were definitely popular in the twenty-first century. I'm sure of it.

Anxious to get out of this uniform, I hurry with my two items toward a counter where I can see other shoppers purchasing clothes.

"Hi!" I say cheerfully to the lady behind the counter, whose long fingernails are painted red. She has a rather sharp face, and her dark hair is pulled back into a tight knot behind her head.

She looks at me with a curious expression – I seem to be getting a lot of those – and then sniffs and wrinkles her nose in disgust.

"Oh, sorry! I fell into a dumpster."

The woman raises an eyebrow and looks even more disgusted.

"Um, you don't know anywhere where I could get a bath, do you? I'm, uh, not from around here."

Sniffing again through her pointed nose, she says, a little coldly, "You might try a hotel. Now, do you wish to purchase those items?" She points to the shirt and pants in my arms.

"Oh yes!" I place them on the counter.

As the woman scans the clothes, I pull my small pack of supplies off my back. I'm fairly certain I have the right kind of money in here, though I probably should have checked before I came into the store. I quickly rummage through my bag.

Oh! Here's some money. I pull out a rather large sack of coins, but no, they're eighteenth century Francs. I would have been _so_ prepared if I'd landed in the right time period!

I notice the woman staring at the pouch of French coins. "Sorry," I say again. "Hang on, I have the right money in here somewhere."

I shift things around in my bag once more. Food supplies. . . French translator bracelet. . . peasant dress. . . more food supplies. . . aha! There it is! My emergency money supply kit. This satchel is even bigger than the sack of French coins and as I pull it out of my pack the woman behind the counter stares even harder, her eyes widening as she looks from my tiny pack to the two large bags I've just pulled out of it.

"How did you fit those in there?" she asks, shocked, pointing to my pack.

Of course. I forgot that interior enlargement technology hasn't been invented yet. I'm pretty sure that telling her it's bigger on the inside won't make any sense to her. "Um, it's stretchy?"

She just shakes her head in a disbelieving sort of way, then says, rather impatiently, "That'll be forty-two dollars and sixty-nine cents."

Money. Right. Um. . . I quickly open my emergency money supply kit and glance through it. Roman coins. Definitely no use. What's this? Drachmas? Nope. I need something less ancient. Here we go! I open up a wallet full of little plastic cards and several chips of various sizes. I pull out a micro chip and offer it to the woman. "Do you take these?"

She's just gaping at me like I'm from another planet or something. Well, okay, fair enough. I guess another time period is just as weird. I smile awkwardly at her and put the micro chip back in my wallet. I was sure they used those in the twenty-first century, but maybe it's still too early. I look at the plastic cards instead, and selecting one that says Bank of America on it, I hold it up.

"What about this?"

Looking warily at me, she gingerly plucks the card from my hand and glances at it. "This is your name on the card?"

Checking the card quickly, just to make sure it is, I say, "Yep! I'm Renet."

"One moment please." Wait, where is she going?

After several minutes she comes back with a middle-aged man dressed sharply in a black suit and they go through some ridiculously long process of trying to make sure my card works and processes correctly, or something. All the while I'm standing here in my smelly uniform having everyone in the shop stare at me as they walk past, and all I want is to have a bath, get some clean clothes on, and _find the Time Scepter_! These people don't realize that the French Revolution is in jeopardy! History could be changing, and they're worried about whether my money is real!

Finally, after several agonizing minutes I'm back out in the sunshine with my bag of new clothes in my hand. Okay, now to find a bath. I take up the suggestion of the woman in the shop and start looking for a hotel.

As I walk a couple of blocks, all the frustration I gathered in that store starts to disappear. There's just so much to see, walking down a street four hundred years in the past! I marvel at the vehicles driving by. There are so many different varieties. Oh look! Yellow taxis! I have a hard time not squealing in glee. This is seriously my _favorite_ time period! I love the clothes people are wearing, the technology they're using. . . Look at all their little handheld communication devices! And there's so much food everywhere! I gasp suddenly. Is that a _pizza shop_? Pizza was the favorite food of the Turtle Warriors! I've always wondered what it tasted like! Now I can – No! Focus, Renet. Fate of the world, remember?

I walk rather slowly past the restaurant, though, taking in the deliciously unusual smell of the pizza. If I have a chance, I will come back.

Oh look! There's a hotel. I quicken my pace and rush to the towering building. Ready this time, I have my Bank of America card in my hand as I approach the front desk.

"Good afternoon," the man behind the desk greets me. He glances once at my strange clothes, but doesn't mention them.

"Hi! Do you have a cleansing room I could use?" At the look of confusion on his face, I add, "Or a washroom? A water closet?" I honestly can't remember which term they used in twenty-first century America. Sighing, I clarify. "I need a bath."

The man quickly gets over his confusion and says, "If you wish to use the bathrooms, you will have to rent a room."

Bathroom! I'll have to remember that. "Okay, sure. I'll rent a room then."

I hand him my plastic money card and a few minutes later, he hands it back, along with another plastic card, saying, "Your room is number 914. The elevator is around the corner to the left."

"Thank you," I say, flipping the new card over in my hand. "Um, what's this?"

"That is your key."

"Oh, of course! Thanks!"

I dart around the corner to the left and spot what I'm pretty sure is the elevator. Another man is getting into it, and I join him, though I feel sorry that he has to be stuck in such a small space with me. The smell is getting really bad.

As the sliding doors close on their own, the man presses a button on the wall beside them. The button, with a number 6 on it, instantly lights up and the elevator begins to move upward. Oh! This must be how you tell the elevator which floor to move to!

I look at all the buttons, labeled 1 – 20, and I realize I don't know what floor my room is on. I look over at the tall man next to me who has been stealing sidelong glances at me. (I'm getting used to that by now.)

"Uh, excuse me, but do you know which floor room 914 would be on?"

"That would be the ninth floor," he replies. "The first number is the floor number."

"Oh. Thanks!" I flash him a smile as the doors open again and he exits the elevator. I glance over at the buttons and push the number 9. It's so cute the way the buttons light up when you push them, like they have actual little light _bulbs_ behind them!

It doesn't take me long to find the door to my room. It has a handle, so it's a manual door, and it has a slot above the handle for the key. Simple enough. I slide the key card into the slot and a little green light blinks, letting me know the door's unlocked, I guess.

I frown at my card as I push the door open. This doesn't feel very secure. It's just a swipe scanner. Anyone could use a scan decoder to unlock the door and get in. Unless that hasn't been invented yet. Yeah, now that I think about it, I doubt it has.

The door clicks behind me and I glance around at the room. Looks comfortable enough. A bed, a lamp, a table – oooooh! I'm drawn instantly to the window. My room is overlooking the river, all glowing in the sunset, and _aah!_ I give a little squeal of delight. That's the Brooklyn Bridge! Real and still intact and looking like something straight out of a history video. Oh, these moments are exactly why I love time travel so much!

Of course, I will never be allowed to time travel again if I don't get that Time Scepter back and fix this huge mistake I made. First thing's first. I turn toward the bathroom. Time to get clean!

Sometime later, finally refreshed and clean, and dressed in my period appropriate clothes, I plop down on the bed. Despite the desperate situation, I can't help giggling a little. I am _so_ keeping this outfit as a souvenir when this is all over! I mean, if I had to get stuck anywhere, twenty-first century New York is – Focus, Renet! No time for obsessive fangirling! I've got a Scepter to find.

Pulling my little pack of supplies into my lap, I start searching through it, trying to find anything useful. I actually have no idea where to start. I've never lost the Time Scepter before. I've never even heard of anyone losing it before. Man, I must be the worst Time Master in all of history!

I shake my head. Think, Renet, think! What could I use to find the Scepter? Suddenly my fingers brush against a smooth, round object. Curious, I pull it out. Oh! It's the SpaceTime Disturbance detector! The shiny, oval shaped device fits perfectly in the palm of my hand, its screen blinking to life as it detects my presence.

This could work! I was supposed to use this to help me locate the time hoppers in France, since it finds rifts and disturbances in the SpaceTime Continuum, but I bet I can use it to find out if the Scepter has been used anywhere near here recently. Of course, that's assuming that it _has_ been used. Most likely, whoever found it has no idea what it actually is or how to use it. It's a long shot, but it's the only idea I have right now.

Switching the device on, I place it on the bedside table, where I can easily keep an eye on it. As the scanner begins to blip at an agonizingly slow pace, I groan. Oh grock, I accidentally grabbed the old one when I was packing. Just my luck. This ancient machine could take _hours_ to find a disturbance.

With a groan, I flop back onto the comfortable pillows, staring out at the glow of twilight through the window and listening to the slow beep beep of the device beside the bed. My eyelids grow heavy and I close them, thinking about my mission, my huge mistake, and the Legendary Turtle Warriors.


	12. Chapter 12: Aftershock

**AN: I just need to give a shout out again to my beta readers, WinterHeath and Spirael. This story has been much improved because of their corrections and suggestions. Thanks guys, you are both amazing!**

 **And Thank you also to all my lovely reviewers. It warms my heart that so many people like this story, and it makes my day every time one of you takes the time to tell me so. Thank you!**

 **.o0o.**

 _Chapter 12: Aftershock_

 _Donnie's POV_

I hug my knees a bit closer into my chest as the darkness all around me is making me feel unsettlingly insecure, not to mention the incessant swirling of my thoughts. I can't stop thinking about Mikey! It was bad enough that the "evil fairy dust" ruined my life, but my little brother's too? The thought is unbearable. Everyone else, of course, feels the same way, and we can't seem to talk of anything else.

I'm not sure how long I've been sitting here on the cushioned bench in the living room, the rest of my family coming and going around me. It's difficult to keep track of time, and I feel stupid repeatedly asking my brothers to look at a clock for me. I'm fairly certain it's late in the evening, though. I have nothing to do here, but why bother getting up? What would I do anywhere else?

I hear Raph come from the direction of the kitchen and flop noisily onto his beanbag chair. My other brothers follow. As far as I can tell, Leo sits down somewhere on my left, near Sensei. Sensei has been there for a while, apparently lost in his own melancholy thoughts, but he makes so little sound I almost forgot he was there. I am suddenly startled as Mikey plops down right beside me and shoves a piece of leftover pizza into my hands.

I smile toward him with a "Thanks, Mikey." The smell of the food reminds my stomach that I forgot to eat dinner.

The sounds of Raph fumbling for the remote reach my ears before the TV hums to life. I think he turned it on more out of habit than anything, though. The volume is very low, and it sounds like a nature program. When the channel doesn't change, I can tell no one's really watching it. We all still have too much on our minds.

My little brother curls up next to me, wiggling in as close as he can get. He's doped up on strong pain meds and feeling much better. He's barely left my side all day, and I think, as he snuggles into my shoulder, that he's trying to both take comfort and bestow it. Not that I'm complaining. My physical world has been basically reduced to what I can detect through hearing and touch, and with Mikey no longer being his loud, boisterous self, it's nice to have him right beside me, where I can feel him. I reach my arm out and drape it over his shell, in a more comfortable position.

"So we don't really know what more this purple powder is capable of," says Leo, bringing up again the only topic any of us have been thinking about today. "But it seems pretty certain that the stuff Rahzar scratched Mikey with was the same powder Tiger Claw threw at you, right, Donnie?"

"Yeah," I say, somewhat wearily, confirming that statement for the third time today. "I just wish I knew where Stockman got it." If only I could analyze it. . .

"If you had some, could you maybe find, you know, a cure?" asks Raph carefully. I know where he's going with this, but I don't want him to get his hopes up.

"Normally I would say there was a possibility of it, but I just don't see how I could if I can't even _see_ the stuff."

I can feel Mikey tapping on his T-phone beside me and then Leo's phone jingles across the room.

"Mikey says the powder comes from the Kraang."

"Really?" I ask Mikey. "How do you know that?"

A pause while Mikey types, followed by another jingle of Leo's phone.

"He says that the fairy dust is purple and sparkly, so it has to be from the Kraang because everything they have is purple and sparkly." I can hear Leo's voice deadpan and I roll my eyes at Mikey.

"Mikey, that's not nearly sufficient evidence." I feel him shrug under my arm that's wrapped around him.

Master Splinter interjects at this point. "I am curious to know more about this Time Scepter that Michelangelo mentioned. What is this object, and how do you four know about it?"

There is a pregnant pause as we all consider how to answer him. We never told Sensei about our adventure through time with Renet, because doing so would have meant telling him about our interference with his past, and we all felt it was better that he remained ignorant of that. I can't see Raph and Mikey's faces, but somehow I know that we are all waiting for Leo to address this subject.

"Well, Sensei, we found out about it only a few weeks ago," Leo begins slowly. "We met a girl from the future called Renet. She had this Time Scepter that allowed her to travel through time, and we helped her defeat a bad guy that was trying to steal the Scepter and alter time. And now it looks like Tiger Claw somehow got a hold of the Scepter."

"I see." I wish I could see Sensei's expression. He never speaks even a tenth of what he's thinking, so you have to try and read it on his face. If he's wondering why we didn't tell him about this earlier, though, he doesn't ask.

"But Mikey said Tiger Claw didn't seem to have a clue who Renet was, so I wonder how he got the Scepter?" queries Raph.

I wonder the same thing. One thing makes sense, though. "Well, now at least I know how he appeared so suddenly behind me last night. Mikey said he had opened a portal onto our battle on the rooftop. After Mikey left the lab, Tiger Claw must've come through the portal to attack the rest of us, and that's when he found me alone on the rooftop."

"Yeah," agrees Leo. "The big question now, though, is what is he going to do with the Time Scepter? Such a powerful object in the hands of our enemies is a very dangerous thing. We have to get it back from him."

A tense silence falls as no one is willing to pursue that subject further. Leo's right of course, but the thought of a mission like that frightens me right now. We're not exactly at the top of our game. Mikey won't be walking properly for a few days, and what use would I possibly be?

.o0o.

 _Leo's POV_

It is dark and quiet in the lair at this late hour. After assuring himself that Mikey and Donnie are settled comfortably in their rooms, Sensei approaches Raph and I. We stand and make ready to head to bed, too, but he stops us.

"A word with the two of you." He motions toward the dojo and we silently follow him up the steps and into the dim room.

When Sensei turns to look at us, his eyes are glowing fiercely. I can see the grief in them, and when he speaks it is with an intensity born of deep rooted emotion, a voice that must not be disobeyed.

"I know exactly what you two are thinking. I know the grief you feel for your brothers. I know the anger and the thirst for revenge." His eyes flick between us as he speaks, and we dare not make a sound to interrupt. His tone is forceful and commanding. "But listen and obey when I say this to you: You will _not_ leave this lair to seek vengeance on your enemies!"

I can feel Raph stiffen with rebellion as this unfair pronouncement is made, but neither of us makes any verbal protest. "Remember, my sons, that causing pain to those who have hurt you is not worth the risk of losing your own lives. I will not have any more of my sons suffer! Your brothers need you now, and you will remain in the lair until I give you leave to go. Is that clear?"

How can he tell us to let this attack on our family be ignored? Everything in me is rebelling against this punishment, for it definitely feels like a punishment. Yet my father is not one to be crossed. Not when he is in a mood like this. I can feel the struggle going on inside Raph, as well, and I know that it takes an immense effort of will for him to reply along with me, "Hai, Sensei."

"Very good." Splinter nods at us, a look of wary relief on his face. "You may go."

We bow respectfully before leaving the dojo and walk silently together toward the bedrooms.

Raph pauses outside his door, his entire body tense, his hands balled into fists at his sides. "Leo?"

"Yeah?"

Raph looks into my eyes and I can tell he's feeling me out, determining where I stand. "We're still going to go after Rahzar and Tiger Claw, right?"

I pause a moment, considering. "Master Splinter is trying to protect us. . ." I say slowly.

"But. . . ?" prompts Raph.

"But he's wrong. Especially since this isn't just about revenge. We need to get the Time Scepter back. And we need to try to get some of that powder for Donnie to analyze."

"Yeah," agrees Raph, "but it's about revenge, too. Those creeps seriously need to pay for what they did to our brothers." A flash of righteous anger burns in his eyes.

I smile grimly at him.

"So, we _are_ going after them?"

"Yes, Raph, but not tonight."

"What? Why not?" Part of his anger is being redirected at me now.

"Because Master Splinter is on the alert right now. We'll never get out of the lair without him stopping us. We have to wait for the right chance to sneak out."

Raph sees my point, but clearly doesn't like it much. "Fine," he growls, "but it better be soon!" With that, he disappears into his room.


	13. Chapter 13: Nightmare

_Chapter 13: Nightmare_

 _Mikey's POV_

 _The hideous faces of Rahzar and FishFace loom over me, larger than life, filling my heart with fear. Creepy sparkly dust drips from Rahzar's claws as they close in on me. There's nowhere to run! I want to cry to my brothers for help, but no sound comes from my mouth. FishFace's switchblade twirls and flashes._

 _Pain! And screaming. Silent screaming._

 _FishFace's voice is hollow and menacing as he laughs. "Heheh, want to see that again?"_

 _Silent, silent screaming._

I jolt up in bed, opening my eyes. My room is dark, but I can feel the familiar blankets over me and the perfectly lumpy mattress under me, and I can hear the gurgle in the pipes up in the ceiling that I almost never hear except when it's really quiet. I'm home. I'm in my own bed, in my own room. I try to reassure myself, but my heart keeps thumping loudly in my chest and my breath keeps coming in short little gasps like I've been running across rooftops.

It was just a dream. It was just a dream.

But it wasn't just a dream. I mean, sure, it was _this_ time, or else I wouldn't have woken up in bed, but it wasn't _just_ a dream. It was a memory. It really happened. I put my hand to my throat and feel that shallow scar there at the bottom of it. Not just a dream.

I'm safe now. I'm home. Nothing else is going to happen. I'm safe. I should go back to sleep.

But I can't close my eyes. I know I'm safe here. My brothers and Sensei are here, and my home is a super secret lair that almost no one knows about, especially not our enemies. But still I can't close my eyes. The gurgling of the pipes gets louder. It feels really lonely in here. And quiet. Much too quiet. I don't want to be alone!

Before I know it I've leaped out of bed and rushed to my door, expertly avoiding all the leftover pizza boxes, action figures, and comic books that are all in their perfectly rightful places on the floor, just where I like them. I don't touch a single one, even though it's completely dark. My leg only hurts a little, so I guess the pain meds Leo gave me haven't worn off yet.

As I step into the hall, my first thought is to go to Leo's room. He's the least likely to put up a fuss about me crawling in bed with him, even though we're not little kids anymore. But one glance down the dark hall shows me a light shining from under Donnie's not-quite-shut door. I creep toward it, drawn by the light.

Of all my brothers, I'm probably closest to Donnie, in an I-like-to-hang-out-with-you kind of way. I like to crack jokes with him and help him with his totally awesome sciency stuff and sometimes accidentally wreck some of it. But I've hardly ever come to him in the middle of the night. Leo's more of the chase-away-the-nightmares type of brother, and anyway most middle-of-the-nights Donnie's in his lab, working. But not tonight.

I stop outside his door, which is open just a tiny bit with the light shining through the gap. Wait a second, he can't even see anymore, so why does he need a light? Maybe he doesn't even realize the light is on.

I push the door open softly and see my brother curled up on the far side of his bed, his shell against the wall, with his blankets pulled up part way over his head. This is not the way Donnie usually sleeps. I mean, on the rare occasion that he actually sleeps in his bed, and not slumped over his computer at his desk, he usually just flops on top of it, all sprawled out, like he barely even made it to the bed before he crashed. The only other times I've seen him all curled up and tucked in like this is when he's sick. Maybe I'm not the only one who needs comforting tonight.

I can't see his face from where I'm standing in the doorway, but I'm pretty sure he's asleep, or else he would have noticed I was here, even if he can't see me. I step in the room and push the door almost closed, like it was before, and then approach the bed. I don't need to use my ninja moves in Donnie's room, because it's always clean. Not as super-duper clean as Leo's is, but at least all his mess of books and papers and things is on his desk, not the floor. I make the trip to the bedside in two quick leaps. I'm still feeling shaky and sort of scared and insecure from my nightmare, but I see the sad expression on Donnie's face, even as he sleeps, and I start to feel less sorry for myself.

I hesitate for a moment by the bed, looking down at my brother. How should I let him know about the nightmare? I can't talk to him, and if I shake him awake I still can't explain why I'm in his room in the middle of the night.

In the end, I decide to just crawl into the bed and let my actions speak for themselves. I leave the bedside lamp on. I really don't feel like being in the dark right now, and it's obviously not bothering Donnie. I have to tug the blankets off my brother a little in order to crawl in beside him, and this wakes him up. As I settle in next to him, shivering a little, both because it was cold outside the bed and because I'm feeling scared, Donnie stirs and blinks a few times. Surprised to find someone else in his bed, he reaches out to touch me and rests his hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, Mikey."

I smile a little. My big bro doesn't need to see me to know who I am. When I first came in the room I was a little afraid Donnie would kick me out again, like he does sometimes when I interrupt him in his lab, but the way his voice sounds when he greets me, and the way he draws me a little closer with his hand on my shoulder, tell me he doesn't mind.

"What's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?"

I nod in response, but then I realize he can't see it, so I snuggle in next to him, resting my head on his plastron and I nod again, where he can feel it.

"Was it about what happened to you?"

Another nod, and I curl in closer as some of the pain and fear from the dream flood my mind again. Donnie rubs my shell a little, in a comforting way, as he says, "It hurt really bad, didn't it?" There's lots of sympathy and big brother concern in his voice.

Yeah, it did, but that wasn't the really scary part. The really scary part was finding out my voice was gone. Not being able to talk sure sucks. I want to crack jokes and shout my battle cry and name stuff. How am I gonna name stuff now? I want to laugh out loud or just, you know, _talk._ I wish I could say all that to Donnie, but I have to settle for a basic nod again. Yeah, it hurts, but it's a different kind of hurt.

"And what about your leg? Does that hurt?"

Okay, I know that earlier in the lab, when Leo was stitching me up and Donnie asked me the same question, I told him I was totally fine. But he was being a doctor then and he wanted to know how bad it was and if I was going to be okay and since it was just a cut I knew I would be so I blew it off as nothing.

Now he's not being a doctor, though. He's being a big brother who wants to know how his little brother is feeling. So instead of telling him I'm fine, I squeeze my eyes shut and press closer into him and nod a little nod in a whimpery sort of way. As expected, he puts his arms around me all big-brother-protective-like and gives me a tight squeeze. Man, big brother sympathy hugs are the best kind.

I'm starting to feel warm and comfortable now, and the fear of my nightmare is disappearing, though there's still a tightness in my chest whenever I think about all the days of silence ahead.

I'm not the only one who's been hurt, though, and now I focus my attention more closely on Donnie. I lean my head back into the pillow a bit so I can see his face. His eyes are open, but staring blankly into the distance, not seeing anything, and it makes my own eyes smart with tears.

I guess he can sense me looking so intently at him, because he moves his eyes in my general direction and asks, "What's wrong, Mikey?"

I want to ask him how he's doing and tell him I'm worried about him and everything else I'm feeling. How can I make him understand that?

Taking one of his hands, I place it on my face while making the most I'm-concerned-about-you face I can manage. Maybe he'll be able to read my expression. Then I gently brush his closed eyes with my thumb.

I think he gets it. He is smart, after all. He sighs, but says, with an attempt at a smile, "It's okay, Mikey. It doesn't hurt anymore. Not physically, but you know, it's just. . ." He breaks off his sentence but he doesn't need to finish. I totally get it. It sucks. This whole situation sucks. I nod in an understanding way into his hand, which is still cradling my face.

"Don't worry, Mikey. We'll figure this out." He says this in a reassuring way, and despite everything, somehow I believe him. He always fixes everything, after all. And he's right. Even if I never get my voice back and he can never see again, we will still figure it out. Because that's what brothers do.

He takes his hand off my face and pats my shoulder, saying, "Are you feeling better now?"

Another nod. I'm getting really sick of nodding. I wish I could just say, "Yeah, thanks, Donnie."

A few moments of silence go by in which I make no move to go back to my own room. Finally Donnie rolls his eyes at me and says, "You're not planning on leaving, are you?"

I give him a cheeky grin, but of course he can't see it, so to make my point I cuddle back in next to him.

He lets out a little exasperated sigh and gives in. "Fine, you can stay, but scoot over. You're hogging the bed."

He gives me a little shove and I try to plead with him, using my best puppy dog eyes, but dang it, he can't see that, either! I'm going to have to invent new methods of little brother persuasion. Oh well. At least he's not sending me back to my room alone. I wiggle over a bit to give him the space he needs.

As Donnie settles in again and gets comfortable, he reaches over and puts a reassuring hand back on my shoulder. "Don't be scared, Mikey, okay? It really will be alright."

In response, I throw my arm around him and hug him again. I love you, Donnie.

"Geez, I love you, too, Mikey, but let go! You're choking me!"

I can't help smiling as I release him and roll over, getting comfy again. Who needs a voice when I have a brother who can read my mind?


	14. Chapter 14: Pancakes

_Chapter 14: Pancakes_

 _Mikey's POV_

I wake up all warm and cozy next to my big brother, who's still asleep, and for a moment I forget why I'm in Donnie's bed instead of my own. Then the events of yesterday all come crashing into my mind. A huge lump forms in my throat and I squeeze my eyes shut and snuggle back under the covers. Part of me just wants to stay there and hope it was all just a horrible dream. But as I listen to Donnie's even breathing I calm down a little.

No, it's real. My voice is gone and Donnie can't see and it totally sucks. Like, more than anything that's happened to us before, and that's saying something. But staying in bed pretending it didn't happen won't fix it.

With a sniffle I pull the covers back off my head. I sit up carefully so I don't wake Donnie and rub the sleep and the almost-tears out of my eyes. Stretching to get the kinks out, I glance at the clock. 6:30. It's still early, so Leo might not even be up yet. With sudden determination I stand up and head out into the hallway. I might not be able to fix this situation, but maybe I can help everyone feel a little better. This calls for homemade blueberry pancakes!

By the time I reach the kitchen my heart already feels lighter at the prospect of cooking up some steaming plates of deliciousness for me and my bros. And Sensei, too, if he wants some, but he usually just sticks to tea in the morning.

As I pull out the flour and baking powder and eggs I start to hum a little tune as I usually do. Then I remember you need a voice for humming. I almost let myself feel all sad again, but then I start whistling instead, and it's all good.

Just as I'm mixing the blueberries into the batter and getting the frying pan hot, Leo comes in. Baking therapy has been working wonders on me, so by now I can offer him an almost happy smile along with the tea bags and the cup of already hot water from the kettle I prepared for him. He smiles back, but his smile is less real because I can see the deep sadness in his eyes.

"Hey, Mikey," he says in a low voice as he dunks a tea bag into his mug.

I smile wider and give him a stupid little wave because I can't say "hey" back.

"How's your leg this morning?"

I give Leo a so-so motion with my hand and show him that I'm barely limping on it. He seems satisfied. Honestly, it feels loads better than it did last night.

I go back to whistling as I pour the first three pancakes into the pan. Oh, and I'd better get the coffee pot started for Donnie. He'll be up soon and he's, like, not an actual, functioning person until he's had his coffee.

I glance back at Leo, who's still just sitting there quietly, staring sadly into his tea. I can't stand to see my brothers sad, even when they have a really good reason to be. I flip the first pancakes onto a plate, douse them with syrup, and place the plate in front of Leo with a flourish and an encouraging grin.

He looks up at me then, but his half smile is still sad. "You know, Mikey, you don't have to pretend to be happy just to cheer everyone up. It's okay to be sad sometimes."

"I'm not pretending." My mouth is moving before I remember I have no voice, so when the words don't actually come out, I just frown in a frustrated sort of way.

I don't think Leo gets it. I'm not pretending to be happy. I'm not faking it, or acting like everything's okay. I know it's not okay. But being sad _really_ sucks. And when all of us are sad, it sucks even more. I don't think anyone ever really wants to be sad. I think, really, we _want_ to be happy. It's just a lot harder when really bad stuff happens. It's times like these, when the big stuff sucks so bad it makes you want to cry, that you have to find little things to be happy about. Little things that make you remember that life isn't ever completely one-hundred-per-cent all bad. Little things like blueberry pancakes.

I wish I could say all that to Leo, but I left my phone in my bedroom and it would take too long to try and text something like that anyway. So I just hand him a fork and hope that the blueberry pancakes will do their job and cheer him up at least a little.

.o0o.

 _Donnie's POV_

I lie on my back staring up at where the ceiling should be. I blink a couple times experimentally, but I know it won't do any good. My vision will not be restored and my room will forever be devoid of light. Granted, our windowless underground bedrooms have always been rather dark, but I can usually see the glow of my alarm clock and the little green power light on my computer and the red light on the surge protector under my desk. And in the morning I can usually see a faint glow coming in under the door from the main room because I'm never the first one up.

Today, however, none of those tiny illuminations permeate the blackness. And I know that when I get off my bed and open the door, I won't be greeted by the welcoming lights of the lair - not the neon sign in the kitchen, or the sunshine from the dojo, or even the blinking pinball machine. No. Everything will be dark. Forever.

I still make no move to get up. This gloomy train of thoughts is not succeeding in sparking motivation in me. I know that last night I told Mikey that everything was going to be fine, but I only said that to cheer him up. The truth is, I'm terrified. Sooner or later, though, I'm going to have to get up and face the darkness.

Come on, think, Donatello, think! When the body is deprived of one of its senses, the brain compensates by redirecting more neurons to the sections of the brain devoted to the remaining functional senses, thereby increasing their capacity and functionality. I need to stop focusing on all the things I can't see. Instead, I need to redirect my brain activity and learn to observe things using my four remaining senses. Just how much can I observe on my own without others telling me what I can't see?

Okay, let's start with touch. Mostly right now I feel the bed. No, not good enough. I need to be more specific. I can feel the soft and only slightly scratchy blanket on me, pulled up to my chest and bunched up a little under my left side. I can feel the pillow beneath my head and the mattress - hey, here's an observation. The empty spot beside me is slightly warm. That's where Mikey had been sleeping, apparently not too long ago.

Now for hearing. I can hear the rush of water through the pipes above my head. That's a constant when you live in the sewer. I can hear the steady whir of the case fans in my computer on my desk, and the occasional click from the hard disk drive. And if I listen very carefully, I can hear the clinking of dishes in the kitchen.

And as for smell - the deliciously invigorating smell of coffee is wafting in through the door, which therefore must be at least partly open. Not just coffee. I can also smell. . . pancakes!

The conclusion of my observations: Mikey is up and has made breakfast.

As if on cue, my stomach rumbles. Yeah, pancakes and coffee sound really good right now. I think I found the motivation I need to get up.

In a moment I've reached my door, which is indeed ajar. Walking to the kitchen won't be hard. I've walked the lair in the dark countless times before and I know exactly how many steps to take and where to turn.

I continue to make observations as I walk. To my right I hear the sound of muffled snoring. Conclusion: Raph is still asleep. What about Leo? I pause for a moment, and then I smell it. Peppermint tea. Leo's definitely awake, probably in the kitchen with Mikey.

Okay, I can do this. I can do this. I _can_ do this.

Well, I successfully make it to the kitchen doorway without falling in the pool. The scent of pancakes and tea and coffee is much stronger here, as are the noises. I can hear Mikey moving about the stove, and there's the clink of a fork on a plate off to my right. Leo must be sitting at the right end of the table. There is no one else in the room. That means the stools on the left must be vacant.

As I sit down on one of them, I greet my brothers with a "'Morning, Mikey, Leo."

"Good morning, Donnie," answers Leo.

Suddenly a steaming, aromatic mug is shoved into my hands. Mmmmm, coffee! "Thanks, Mikey." The next second I hear a clunk as something rather heavy is placed down on the table by my arm. I reach out to feel what it is and discover a warm, full coffee pot. I smile. Mikey knows I'll need more than one cup today. After that I hear a plate, smelling of blueberries and maple syrup, being set in front of me and a fork placed in my hand.

I take a deep breath. Okay. This is the first time I've eaten a real meal since . . . everything. I mean, I ate some toast, and some cold slices of pizza yesterday, but anyone can eat toast or pizza without seeing it. This is the first meal requiring plate and fork coordination that I've attempted.

Leo must've seen me hesitate because he immediately jumps up. "Here, let me help you with that, Donnie."

I feel my face flush with embarrassment as Leo intercedes and begins cutting my food like I'm a small child. Before I've made up my mind whether to stop him or not, Mikey is there. I can feel him put a hand on Leo's arm and Leo stops attacking my food.

Mikey must be giving Leo some sort of nonverbal sign, but all I hear is Leo saying, "What, Mikey? But he can't see! He needs help."

"Leo," I interrupt, touching his shoulder. "It's fine. I can do it."

At last he concedes. "Alright, Donnie," he says, sitting back on his own stool. "I was only trying to help."

"I know."

I lift my fork and move it around the plate, surprised at how much I can "feel" through the utensil.

I can do this. I can do this.

Okay, these pancakes are seriously the best I've ever tasted. Thick and fluffy and popping with warm, fresh blueberries. Mikey really outdid himself this time. "Wow, Mikey," I say out loud, a smile forming on my lips despite my anxiety. "These are _really_ good!"

"Mikey says, 'Thank you'," comes Leo's voice from my right as I place another successful forkful of pancakes in my mouth.

I frown thoughtfully. Communicating with Mikey is a problem that is going to need a workable solution soon.

I am just finishing the last bites of my breakfast when Master Splinter enters the room. I don't think I actually hear him come in, because his feet never make any sound, but I am somehow aware of his presence before he speaks.

"Leonardo, please awaken Raphael. Training begins in ten minutes."

"Hai, Sensei."

Leonardo obeys without question, but I can't help a surprised "Wait, for _all_ of us?" from escaping my lips.

Sensei merely answers with a calm but stern, "For all of you," before leaving again.

I just sit, silent, on my stool for a few minutes. I had really hoped he'd let me off the hook for training today. I don't know if I'm ready for this.


	15. Chapter 15: Frustration

_Chapter 15: Frustration_

 _Donnie's POV_

Okay. I can do this. I _can_ do this.

My toes grip the rough softness of the worn rug beneath my feet. Knees bent for stability, I listen carefully to the darkness around me. I can hear the sound of two of my brothers breathing from the sidelines. That's Raph and Mikey. Sensei is eerily silent, but he's always like that and I already know he's standing off to the side, observing. The person I really need to be focused on is Leo.

Leo is almost as good as Master Splinter when it comes to silent ninja stealth. Hearing him approach is difficult. There! I feel a displacement of air on my left. I attempt to block, but his blow lands unexpectedly on my right shoulder. I growl in frustration. Detecting his location isn't sufficient for predicting _how_ he's going to attack!

Leo steps away from me as I rub my shoulder, though it didn't actually hurt. That was the sixteenth time he hit me, and even though he was deliberately holding back to begin with, his punches have been further decreasing in force with each blow. He doesn't want to be doing this any more than I do and after each of my failed attempts to block, I expect Sensei to call an end to this futile exercise.

"Again," comes Splinter's voice instead. Again? Why? If I couldn't block the punches on the first sixteen times, what makes him think I can do it when I'm tired, bruised, and frustrated? I resume my defensive stance half-heartedly, the lump of frustration in my chest nearly smothering me. I can't concentrate anymore. I _can't_ do this!

"Come on, Donnie, you can do this," whispers Leo under his breath. He's behind me and a little to my right, and I know he just gave away his position on purpose. I turn in that direction, listening for him, but I can't hear anything over the angry pounding of my heart. This is stupid! Why is Sensei making me do this? I'm never going to be able to – WHAM! I'm knocked off balance as Leo's fist collides with my head, harder than I think he meant it to.

Regaining my footing, I place a hand gingerly to my temple as Leo frantically tries to apologize. "I'm sorry, Donnie! I didn't mean to hit you that hard! I thought you knew where I was that time!"

The boiling frustration pours out of me at last. "I _did_ know where you were, Leo!" I shout, though my anger isn't directed at my brother. "But it doesn't matter because there's no way I can anticipate where you're going to strike!"

"Donatello -" Sensei's voice is too calm.

"No, Sensei! I can't do it! It's impossible!" I hear a collective gasp from my brothers. I know I've crossed the line, shouting at Splinter like that. I've never dared to challenge him so disrespectfully before, but I can't stop myself. The frustration is too great.

"Donatello," Splinter's voice is still calm, not acknowledging my disrespect. "Nothing is truly impossible if you try hard enough. You must set your mind to the task, devote all your energy to it, and try harder."

"I'm trying as hard as I can!" Why can't he see that it gets harder every time I fail? "I can't do it!"

"There is no 'can't'," says Splinter sternly. "There is only 'won't'."

"Fine, then I _won't_!" I spit the words out angrily and stomp toward the door.

.o0o.

 _Raph's POV_

Whoa, Donnie is screaming at _Sensei_! Leo, Mikey, and I just watch in stunned silence. I've rarely seen Donnie so upset. His fists are clenched and his whole body is tense as he throws a couple of last words at Splinter. As he rushes angrily toward the door, he misses it by a few inches and almost runs into the door frame. I might have laughed at that if the situation hadn't been so incredibly _not_ funny. Donnie catches himself in time, though, and feels his way out the door.

The rest of us don't move as we stare at Splinter, who, surprisingly, doesn't look like he's mad at Donnie. I mean, if I had done that, I would have been doing flips for a week. I know, 'cause I have. But Sensei doesn't look like he's about to punish Donnie. He just looks. . . sad.

"Training is over for today," he says quietly, then disappears into his room, sliding the door closed behind him.

The moment Sensei dismisses us, I rush out of the dojo. Seeing Donnie still groping his way toward his bedroom, I head after him, just as he slams the door shut. He's angry and frustrated and he's trying to box it up inside like he always does. I'll be damned if I let him stay that way.

I reach his closed door and I pause for only a second, listening. I don't hear anything, so I barge right in. Donnie is sitting on his bed, legs curled into himself, his face buried in his knees. He's been in that position of despair way too much lately. His head jerks up at the sound of my entrance.

"Ever heard of knocking, Raph?" he growls out angrily.

"Waste of time. I would've come in anyway."

He grunts in annoyance, but doesn't make any further attempt to make me go away. I grab the chair from his desk, spin it around to face his bed, and sit down in front of him.

"What do you want, Raph?"

"Hit me."

"What?" His face, though still angry, now looks surprised as well.

"Hit me."

"Why?"

"You're angry."

He snorts derisively at my statement of the obvious. "Yeah. Well, hitting stuff isn't my method for dealing with anger."

"I know." He usually disappears in his lab and works himself to death on some science project until he either calms down or forgets about it. "But since your usual method is. . . unavailable, try mine. It has a proven track record." I smirk at him, but of course he doesn't notice.

"I don't want to hit you, Raph." He sighs in frustration and turns away a bit as if to say he doesn't want to finish this conversation. Come on, Donnie, work with me here.

"Hit me, Donnie, or I'll hit you instead." I'm getting impatient.

"What?" He looks a little surprised, but I can see he knows I'm serious.

Giving in, Donnie finally lifts his arm and aims a punch in my general direction. He hits me in the top of the plastron with the weakest punch I've ever felt. Seriously? He's never going to release his anger that way.

"Come on, Donnie, I could hit you harder than that when we were five! _Hit_ me!"

This time I see his face screw up with anger and he pulls back for another punch. Clearly aiming for my shoulder, he misses his mark a little and his fist glances off, but at least there was force behind that one.

"Good. Do it again."

His punches start getting harder as he lets his rage and frustration pour into them. They are also getting more accurate as he figures out my position. I might have some bruises to show for this later, but I let him get in a few satisfying hits. Then I start to block. He shows surprise the first time I deflect his punch, but rather than giving up, he sets his face in determination and swings harder. I'm smiling now. This is exactly what I was hoping for. After I successfully block several blows, he manages to feign to the left and as I raise my arm to block it, he sneaks in a hit to my stomach, momentarily knocking my breath out of me.

"Ha!" He breaks a smile as he gets that blow in. This is definitely working.

I block a couple more of his punches. Left. Right. Left. Now! I swing a punch of my own, aiming for his left shoulder. With exact precision, he raises his arm and stops my fist mid swing. A perfect block.

I can't help grinning at his stunned face as I lean back in the chair. "See. I knew you could do it."

He just sits there, staring at, well, nothing I guess, as I put the chair back by his desk. I'm halfway to the door before he collects himself enough to throw me a small smile. "Thanks, Raph."

"Anytime you need a turtle punching bag, I'm here for ya, bro."

I close the door behind me and stand there in the hallway a minute, my smile fading. Sure, I got Donnie to vent his anger and even successfully block a punch, but that's a far cry from where his skills used to be, and it makes me ache inside. We're going to find a way to fix this. We have to.


	16. Chapter 16: Fruitless

**AN: Hello, to all my lovely readers! I just have to say - I have over 100 reviews on this story! You guys, this means so much to me! I've never had a hundred reviews on any story before and it just makes me squeal in delight! So thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to all you lovely people who took the time to review this story and tell me what you think of it. It brings me such joy to know so many people like my story. :D**

 **I also wanted to give you guys a heads up that next weekend I will be out of town, so I will not be updating until Sunday. So for those of you who look for an update every Saturday morning, you'll have to wait one extra day. Sorry! And now, on with the tale!**

 **.o0o.**

 _Chapter 16: Fruitless_

 _Renet's POV_

A loud beeping jerks me awake and I sit up instantly, feeling dazed and confused. Where am I? For a few seconds I blink around stupidly at the small room, at the bed, at the sunlight streaming through the window. Oh right! Hotel. New York. Twenty-first century.

My eyes fall on the table beside the bed and I notice the SpaceTime Disturbance Detector. That's what the loud beeping was coming from. Oh! It must have found something!

Suddenly wide awake with excitement I scramble to the side of the bed on my stomach and snatch the device from the table. Sure enough, two green blips appear on the screen, one beginning to fade, the other somewhat stronger. Oh, thank Valgar! This plan might actually work!

Hastily I grab my shoes from the floor and shove them on. Then, after receiving a warning growl from my stomach, I reach into my bag and extract a food ration packet. Tipping the tablets onto my hand, I swallow them in one gulp with a cup of water from the bathroom. That should keep me going for about six hours.

Snatching up my bag and the Disturbance Detector, I rush out the door.

Once on the sidewalk, I look more closely at the blips on the screen, squinting in the morning sunlight. I rotate the device a couple times, trying to get a clearer picture of the locations of the blinking dots on the crude map. Oh, why did I grab the _old_ device? The newer ones use much better technology and have much clearer directions!

Oh wait, I think I got it. The fainter blip is only a few blocks away. The fact that it's fainter means it's been a little longer since the disturbance. I better check there for clues before it fades away entirely. The other location seems to be a few kilometers away.

Holding the device in front of my face as I walk, I try to navigate the crowded sidewalks without running into anything. I'm sure I'm getting lots more strange looks from passersby, but I don't care right now. I've got a mission to accomplish and this time I'm staying focused!

With my eyes glued to the directions on the screen, I don't really realize where I'm going until I arrive at the location indicated on the device. Then, lowering the detector, I look around eagerly.

I'm in the same bad smelling alley I woke up in yesterday.

I strike my palm on my forehead. Stupid, Renet! Stupid! Stupid! Of _course_ the first rift in SpaceTime was caused when I traveled to this century in the first place! Argh! I wasted time coming here! I should have gone straight to the more recent disturbance.

I glance at the screen again. The second blip is beginning to fade. I better move.

I pay more attention to where I'm going this time and I move much quicker. At last I arrive in front of a formidable stone building with a high, vaulted roof and arched windows. It appears to be some sort of religious building. A church, maybe, or a temple. There doesn't seem to be any sacred symbols or insignia on the front of the building, but two people, dressed entirely in black, stand by the door. Guards, maybe?

I check the screen of the detector once more, just to be sure. Yep, the disturbance definitely occurred within this building.

Okay, despite my fanaticism with this time period, I'm still no expert on American religions. But I'm pretty sure most of them were supposed be fairly open and welcoming. Maybe if I just pretend to be a tourist and ask to see inside the building, they will let me in? It couldn't hurt to try.

Stowing the Disturbance Detector in my pocket, I stride purposefully toward the front door, a friendly smile on my face. The two people in black stand more rigidly at attention as they see me approaching. Almost definitely guards.

"Hi!" I greet them cheerfully, though I'm really more focused on the huge, very solid looking doors I need to pass through. "I'm new to this area and I've been checking out all the interesting sights. Would you mind if I take a look around in your. . . temple?"

The two guards look sort of confused. At least, I think they're confused. Their faces are entirely covered by black masks, but they cock their heads at me in a confused sort of way.

"Do you have a business appointment?" one of them asks.

"What?" Now it's my turn to be confused. Business appointment? Not a religious center, then. I look again at the high, closed doors and wonder what sort of business people conduct in there.

"No one sees Oroku Saki without a direct appointment."

Oroku Saki. I freeze as that ominous name sends a cold shiver down my spine. I turn slowly to look more closely at the guards. The black garb that I had originally taken to be the apparel of religious devotees, I now realize, with a mental facepalm, is clearly the attire of ninja warriors. Emblazoned in blood red on their chests is the unmistakable symbol of a human foot. That haunting icon has fed my imagination since the days of my early childhood when I soaked up every book and video of the Legends of the Turtle Warriors that I could get my hands on.

The Foot Clan.

Grinning sheepishly at the two guards, I begin to slowly back away towards the street, trying to hide my fear behind a mask of ignorance. Giggling girlishly, I say, "Oh, I'm _so_ sorry! My mistake!"

Then I turn tail and scamper away, running a couple blocks before darting around a corner into an abandoned alley. Breathing heavily, more from my fright than my short sprint, I lean against the brick wall and try to collect my thoughts.

The Shredder. _The Shredder_ has the Time Scepter!

It's like something out of one of my storybooks! In this conflicted moment I don't know whether to tremble in fear or squeal in fangirly delight. If the Shredder is half as bad as his reputation has made him out to be, the logical answer here would be fear. Definitely fear.

I let out a little squeal all the same.

Focus, Renet! This is bad! This is very bad. The Time Scepter in the hands of The Shredder! That's even worse than the time Savanti Romero got a hold of it! And it's all my fault! I have to get it back. I have to. But by the rings of Saturn, how am I supposed to do that?! The only ones who are capable of defeating the Shredder are. . .

The Legendary Turtle Warriors.

Well, I guess I have _no choice_ but to find the Turtles. There's simply _no other way_. And I can't stop grinning at this wonderfully legitimate excuse.

Come on, Renet, take this seriously! First ever Time Mission, French Revolution, Time Scepter in the hands of the worst bad guy ever, remember? Okay. I need help. I need the Turtles. Where can I find them?

As I'm thinking, I glance around again at the city surrounding me. I'm not actually exactly sure what year it is. Have the Turtles come out of hiding yet? Do people know where they are? There's only one way to find out.

I dart out of the alley onto the busy sidewalk and stop the first person I see – a thirty-something man staring intently at his handheld communication device.

"Excuse me, sir," I say, trying to sound bright, cheery, and casual; not at all like the fate of the world might be hanging in the balance here. "Do you know where I could find the Turtle Warriors?"

He looks up from his device, distracted, his eyes not really focusing on me. "Huh? What? Sorry, I'm really busy." And he pushes past me, his eyes back on the screen in his hand.

My eyes follow him for a second before I brush off this disappointing attempt and try again.

"Excuse me, ma'am," I try to get the attention of a dark haired woman, smartly dressed in a business suit, walking quickly down the sidewalk. "Excuse me, could you tell me -"

Without slowing her walking, she throws up her hand to block any more of my words from reaching her and says shortly, "I'm in a hurry." Then she's gone, leaving me frowning behind her.

After several similar attempts, I huff in exasperation and look around more carefully, searching for someone who might not be too busy to listen to me. My eyes fall on a couple of kids standing idly by a magazine stand while their mother chats with the guy selling the magazines. Perfect! If anyone will know about super groovy crime-fighting ninja turtle warriors, it's kids.

I approach the stand, pretending like I'm interested in buying a magazine. As I sidle up behind the kids, I casually lean toward them and say, in a friendly way, "Hey! Have either of you two heard of the Legendary Turtle Warriors?"

The boy, who looks to be about nine or ten, looks interested. "No. Is that a new comic series or something?"

Disappointed again. Before I can answer him, though, his little sister frantically hisses at him that they're not supposed to talk to strangers. This catches the attention of their mother, who, having finished her conversation, herds them off down the street.

Looking up, I notice that many of the magazines on the stand feature news articles. I quickly flip through them, looking for any sign of the Turtles. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. One even mentions crime rates being on the decline, but doesn't mention the reason for it.

I let out a growl of frustration. The Turtle Warriors must still be in hiding. How am I supposed to find them if they don't want to be found?

I start walking aimlessly down the street as I ponder this problem. Come on, Renet, think! I know everything there is to know about the Turtle Warriors! Where could I find them?

My eyes fall on a large metal disc embedded in the blacktop of the street.

The sewers. Of course. Before becoming famous and living in the open, the Turtles made their home underground, in the sewers. Everyone knows that. Maybe I could find them down there? The prospect isn't particularly appealing, but it's the only plan I've got right now.

I begin searching around for an entrance to the sewers that isn't right in the middle of the road – getting hit by a car would make this bad day so much worse – or in the middle of a crowd. I would like to avoid awkward questions. At last I spot one in a deserted alley.

I sprint over to the round metal cover concealing the opening. There's no handle or anything on it for easy access. Just a small round hole on one side. Perhaps you're supposed to insert a lever? I don't have a lever, of course, so I just stick my fingers in the hole and try to pull it up.

Yeah, this metal disc is way heavier than it looks! With a frightful tug, my fingers slip suddenly out of the hole and I fall backwards, landing very ungracefully on my butt. Ow! Good thing this alley is deserted.

I glare at the immovable cover. I'm never going to be able to open that without help. I head back to the street and begin walking again, just for something to do while I think. How am I going to get down into the sewers?

Then suddenly, the streak of bad luck I've been having these last two days seems to end, for in the very next alley I spot a sewer entrance that's already open! There's a large vehicle parked nearby it, and several men in working uniforms are gathered together beside the vehicle. Looks like maybe they were working down in the sewers.

I glance quickly around. No one else is in the alley and the men are all busy talking, laughing, and eating. They must be on a meal break. None of them are looking in the direction of the hole leading down into the sewers. Quickly, quietly, trying not to attract attention, I sneak over to it, and with one last nervous glance toward the workers, I lower myself down.

There is a rough metal ladder leading into the dark depths below, and I take several swift steps down until my head is safely underground, out of sight of the workers above. Then I pause for a second to let my eyes adjust to the dim light, before lowering myself the rest of the way down.

As my feet hit the bottom – a hard floor, made of stone or concrete or some such thing – my nose is assaulted with a powerfully unpleasant stench. I instantly bring my hands to my face, covering my nose and mouth as I make involuntary gagging sounds in my throat.

Okay, after all my years of reading stories of the Legendary Turtle Warriors, I got so used to the idea of them living in the sewers that it seemed almost normal. Being suddenly struck with the reality of the smell, however, makes me realize that this would _not_ be a pleasant place to live. I guess I'm so used to thinking of them as the great heroes of legend that I sometimes forget that their lives began in such isolation and rejection.

I suddenly realize that, while pondering these things, I haven't taken a single step away from the ladder. Focus, Renet! No time to stand here dreaming! I've got turtles to find!

It occurs to me a few steps into my journey that I have absolutely no plan beyond getting into the sewers. I haven't the faintest idea where the Turtles' home might be. No one knows where their first secret lair was, except that it was in the sewers. As I walk down the tunnel and see many more tunnels branching off the first one, I am struck with the sheer vastness of the place. Their home could be many kilometers away! Plus, if they managed to keep themselves hidden for so many years, it must be well concealed. I could walk right past it without even seeing it!

With overpowering odds against me, I consider giving up this foolhardy plan, but then I remember that it's the only plan I have. And even a foolish one is better than nothing. So, once I'm far enough away from the opening I came through, I decide that my best chance is to shout their names and hope they'll hear me.

"Leonardo!" I call loudly down the tunnel. "Michelangelo! It's me, Renet! I need your help!" As expected, there's only an echo in response. I keep going, however, calling all their names loudly at intervals.

It's a long shot, I know, but maybe, just maybe, one of them will hear me.


	17. Chapter 17: Despair

_Chapter 17: Despair_

 _Leo's POV_

I flick through the pages of my worn out Space Heroes comic book. I've read this one at least a dozen times already, and I'm not really paying attention to it. I'm trying to come up with a plan for Raph and I to successfully take the Time Scepter from the Foot, and hopefully steal some of the fairy dust, on the off chance that Donnie might, possibly, be able to use it. And of course pay our enemies back for what they did to our brothers while we're at it. Unfortunately, none of that will be easy with only half the team.

Raph, too, is sitting here in the living room, on his beanbag chair, killing time with one of his magazines. He never did get Mikey back for baking part of his collection into a pizza. I suppose everything else put it out of his mind. He keeps throwing me meaningful glances, like he knows I'm planning our secret mission. He won't dare talk about it now, though. Sensei has been keeping much too close an eye on us all day.

Suddenly Mikey comes barreling out of nowhere and crashes onto the pillows strewn across the floor. Donnie would kill him if he saw that. Mikey is clearly not obeying doctor's orders to take it easy until his leg heals. He scoots over to the TV, turns on his N64, and tosses a controller to Raph, who catches it reflexively before he even notices what it is. He looks up to see Mikey waving the Mario Kart game cartridge at him in a challenging sort of way.

Raph cracks a smile and scoots his beanbag closer. He's never been able to walk away from a challenge.

"Alright, I'll play ya, Mikey, but swap controllers. I wanna be first player."

Mikey shakes his head, a mischievous gleam in his eye, and clutches the red, first player controller to his chest.

I let my comic fall into my lap, as I watch Raph and Mikey with an amused smirk.

"Come on, give it here, ya dork!" Raph tackles Mikey and the two are instantly engaged in an all out tussle for the red controller.

After watching for a few minutes, I'm about to call out a warning to them not to break it, when Raph suddenly emerges victorious, flattening Mikey to the floor with his knee, the red controller in his hand. He shoves Mikey's face into a cushion as he crawls over him to get back to his beanbag. I half expect Mikey to retaliate, but instead he quickly snatches up the yellow controller, a cheeky grin on his face.

"What the - ?" Raph looks up, surprised, at the screen, where the race is already about to begin. "Hey! I wanted to be Bowser. How did you - ? You made me _Princess Peach_?! Why, you little - !"

But Mikey is giving all his attention to the screen where the race has already begun. Seeing Mikey getting a head start on him, Raph instantly picks up his controller.

"Oh, you are so going down!"

Mikey just blows a raspberry in return.

I can't help chuckling a bit. I have no idea how Mikey managed to set up the characters _while_ fighting for the controller. He really has some serious gaming skills. I sit back and watch the race for a bit, my comic forgotten. The competitive nature of the game has boosted both their spirits and they are laughing and rough housing around as usual, though the loud smack talk is now completely one-sided. It's kind of nice to watch my two little brothers having a bit of fun.

I wish Donnie could find something fun to do. He has, understandably, been having the roughest time. I can tell he's trying hard to put a brave face on things, but his shouting match with Splinter this morning sort of brought all that crashing down.

Hold on, where _is_ Donnie? I just realized I haven't seen him since lunch, when he grabbed a sandwich out of the kitchen and disappeared. This behavior is so normal for Donnie, I didn't think about it at the time, but of course now I realize he can't have been in his lab working all this time like he normally does.

Frowning, I call to Raph and Mikey. "Hey, guys, have you seen Donnie?"

Neither of them take their eyes off the TV. Raph only shrugs, but Mikey points quickly in the direction of the bedrooms, then returns to the race.

"He's still in his room? Raph, I thought you said you cheered him up earlier?"

"I gave him an outlet for his anger, if that's what you mean," Raph replies, his eyes still on the screen. "Ha! Take that, Mikey!"

My frown deepens in concern as I realize I should have checked on my little brother hours ago. I stand up and head toward Donnie's room. What has he been doing in there all this time? I knock lightly on the door. "Donnie, can I come in?"

A pause, then, "Sure." The quiet melancholy in his voice is immediately apparent.

I open the door slowly but I can't see anything because it's completely dark in there. I flick on the light and see my brother lying on his back on the bed in an attitude of depressed boredom. I glance around the room and notice that his desk has been cleaned off. All the books, notebooks and papers that usually litter the space around his computer are gone. All of his tools have been carefully put away and the books placed back on their shelves, except one on the bedside table that has a bookmark in it. The wastepaper basket is overflowing with hastily crumpled papers and discarded notes. The scene makes my chest feel tight, but I decide not to comment on it.

Sitting down in the computer chair beside his bed, I ask, "What are you doing, Donnie?"

"Nothing," he replies, without turning in my direction. "It seems that's all I'm good for now."

"Don't say that, Donnie! You know it isn't true." He makes no effort to agree with me, but continues to stare forlornly in the direction of the ceiling.

"Come on, let's go do something fun. You can't spend the whole day just lying alone here in the dark."

"It's dark everywhere," he answers resentfully.

Okay, that was a bad choice of words. "Come on out to the common room. We can -"

"We can what?" he vehemently interrupts, turning to face me at last and raising himself up onto one elbow. "We can watch Raph and Mikey play video games? Oh wait, that requires _sight._ " His voice is dripping with cynical sarcasm. "Or maybe I could finish that batch of retro-mutagen I had started? Nope, I'd have to see that, too. Or maybe I could work on the upgrades to the Shellraiser I was planning? Or perhaps finish some of my online research, or read the rest of the book I had started, or we could watch TV, or, I know! We could go to the dojo so you can _hit_ me a few more times!"

I am somewhat taken aback by his angry tirade. Apparently I've failed to notice just how much frustration and despair he's bottled up inside.

As he finishes shouting, Donnie flops back onto the bed in a dejected manner. "I didn't just lose my sight, Leo. I've lost _everything._ " His anger spent, these last few words come out in a choke of grief.

"No," I answer after a moment's pause. The word comes out all squeaky through the lump of emotion in my own throat. I clear my throat and start again. "No, Donnie. You haven't lost everything. You haven't lost us. We're still here for you, like I promised we would be." Raph would probably groan at the cheesiness of that statement, but I can't help it. It's true, after all.

Donnie doesn't answer, but turns his face toward the wall, as if to hide it, but not before I see a tear slip beneath his mask and travel down his cheek.

"Donnie. . . "

"I can't do _anything,_ Leo!" He hastily wipes his face and sits up, facing me, his unseeing eyes downcast. "But you guys still expect me to."

I'm baffled at this accusation. "Donnie, what are you talking about?"

"Well, at least Raph does. I know he thinks I can come up with some sort of cure for me and Mikey if you guys manage to get a sample of that purple powder for me. I know what you and Raph are planning to do. You're going to try to steal some and probably wreak your vengeance on the Foot while you're at it."

I'm a bit surprised by this statement, but before I can say anything, Donnie continues, "And don't deny it, Leo. I'm not stupid."

"I don't think anyone's ever accused you of that, Donnie," I say with a smile. "Do you think Mikey knows, too?"

"Well, I don't know for sure, since he hasn't exactly been able to talk to me, but probably. He's very perceptive, you know."

"Yeah, I know."

"But anyway, the point is, you guys seem to expect that, if you bring me some of that 'evil fairy dust', as Mikey calls it, I will magically be able to conjure up a cure and everything will be fixed. But I can't, Leo. Do you have any idea how hard that is?" I can see the desperation to be understood written all over his face. "Whenever something goes wrong, you guys bring me the problem, fully expecting me to produce a viable solution. And I usually do. I've created cures for giant parasitic wasps and mutant acne and I've even created retro-mutagen to cure mutations themselves! But none of those things were easy, Leo. I spent hours and hours - sometimes months - working on them. Do you have any concept of how difficult it would be for me to find a 'cure' for this fairy dust stuff - assuming such a thing is even within the realm of possibility?"

Honestly, no, I have no idea how hard it would be. It's completely beyond my comprehension, so I just say, "No, Donnie. I know I could never do it."

"Then what makes you think _I_ could do it when I'm freaking blind?" A look of anguish crosses his face.

I try to console him. "Donnie, I'm really sorry that we've always expected too much of you. And you're right, we haven't given you enough appreciation for -"

Donnie suddenly cuts me off. "No, Leo, that's not it. I didn't mean to imply that you shouldn't have expected me to come up with solutions. I know I sometimes complain that you guys aren't appreciative enough, but honestly, most of the time I don't mind that you look to me to fix things. Because that's what I do. Building and fixing things is my contribution to the team. And that's what's bothering me. I _want_ to fix everything, and this time I can't. You guys look to me for the solution like you always do, and this time I don't have the solution. I can't fix it, and I'm letting everyone down." His head and shoulders droop as he says this, in an attitude of despondency. "I'm completely useless."

"No you're not. You're not useless and you're not letting everyone down. No one is expecting a miracle from you, Donnie. We just want to give you the opportunity to try. If you can't do it, you can't do it, but don't you want to at least try? You never know. You might succeed."

"I won't. I can't do anything anymore." The despair in his voice is heartbreaking.

"Perhaps not on your own," I try to encourage him, "but you're not alone in this, Donnie. We're a team. We've always been able to accomplish more when we work together. If you let us help you, as a team, you can still do many of the things you did before."

I reach out and put a comforting hand on his knee. His face softens as he considers this point of view, and he makes a movement with his hand as if he's reaching out for me, but then checks himself and draws it back. I frown at this.

Compared to Mikey, who gives out hugs for any reason, including no reason at all, I'm not that physically affectionate. On the whole, I've always enjoyed my personal space. But as I see Donnie restrain himself from touching me, it makes me consider what it must be like for him, talking to me without being able to see me. Am I just a disembodied voice in the dark? I realize he desires to physically feel me there, but seems reluctant to invade my privacy.

To hell with that!

Abandoning my chair, I take a seat on the bed right beside my brother. Taking one of his hands in mine, I bring it up to my face where he can read my expression.

Donnie still seems hesitant and pulls his hand away a little, but I bring it firmly back in place. "It's okay, Donnie," I say reassuringly, giving him permission. He still looks slightly embarrassed, but doesn't take his hand away.

"Leo, what if-" he speaks haltingly. "What if I forget what you guys look like?"

"You won't," I say firmly. "We won't let you. See? I haven't changed in the last two days."

He sniffs and pulls his hand away to rub at his eyes. I hate seeing him cry. I instantly grab his shell and pull him into a one-armed embrace. "I told you we won't let you go through this alone, and I mean it. All those things you mentioned that you want to do - I promise, we'll find a way for you to do them, okay?"

Donnie pulls away, wiping his eyes dry and actually cracks a smile at me. "Thanks, Leo."

"That's what brothers are for." I reach over and grab the book sitting on his bedside table. "Now, is this the book you were in the middle of reading?"

" _A Brief History of Time_ by Stephen Hawking. Yeah. It's a _brilliant_ book, Leo. I was only a third of the way through it and I really wanted to finish it."

"Well, get comfy. We'll read it together." I pull the bookmark out and turn to the marked page. "Should I start on page 43?"

Donnie lays back on his pillows, a real smile on his face now. "Nah, start at the beginning. That way you can follow what he's talking about."

I grin along with him and, settling myself down beside him, I open to the first page and begin to read aloud.


	18. Chapter 18: Confrontation

_Chapter 18: Confrontation_

 _The next morning..._

 _Tiger Claw's POV_

"I'm telling you, Xever," Bradford's low, growling voice echoes off the vaulted ceiling of Shredder's throne room, "the key to bringing down the turtles once and for all is that powder I found in Stockman's lab!"

"No way! That stuff did barely any damage to them at all!" Xever's softer voice goes ringing around the chamber as well, so that, though I am pacing behind the throne, on the opposite end of the room, I can hear every word clearly. "So the little turtle can't talk! So what? The only good thing about that is that I won't have to listen to his bad jokes the next time we fight them!"

"I told you before," growls Bradford, "that's because I only scratched him with a tiny bit! What about the purple one? Tiger Claw hit him full in the face!"

"Yeah, but it didn't kill him, did it?"

I pause in my pacing to listen to the endless bickering of these two idiots. I am clutching the Time Scepter in my hand as I have refused to let it out of my sight since learning of its incredible power.

"We don't know that for sure!" argues Bradford, "Tiger Claw left him screaming on the rooftop when he was driven back by the other two. For all we know, he could be dead. The next time the turtles come out, I think they will be down to three. We need to set another ambush and attack them all with the powder."

"You're wrong, Bradford!" Xever shouts back. "It's the Time Scepter that will be the key to bringing down the turtles. We can take it to any time we want! Catch them completely unawares!"

"Yeah, we _could_ ," comes Bradford's voice, dripping with sarcasm, "if we could figure out how to _use_ it! But for now, it's useless! I say we use my powder!"

Feeling completely fed up with their circular argument, I decide to intervene. Striding across the glass floor, I approach the two mutants with an air of authority. "This is not up for debate!" I say loudly and definitively, silencing the pair of them. "I say how we get our revenge on the turtles! And I say your entire argument is foolish. We shall use both the Time Scepter and the purple powder."

Both their angry faces start to twist into cunning grins at this statement.

"Now, the first thing to do is figure out how this Scepter works. Bradford, you caused it to open a portal yesterday. How did you do that?"

The wolf mutant crosses his arms and glares at me. "We've been over this, Tiger Claw. I don't _know_ how that portal opened. All I did was this:" And he grabs the Scepter out of my hand, whirls it around and slams the end of it into the floor. Nothing at all happens apart from a small crack appearing in the glass.

"The stupid thing doesn't work!" he cries and tosses it roughly back at me.

I catch it deftly and glare at him. Examining the Scepter more closely, I notice several small buttons on the back, near the hour glass device on the top. Pressing one of these, I try the same motion Bradford did, though on the concrete path in the middle of the room to avoid shattering the glass. Still nothing. I growl in frustration.

Suddenly, an idea comes to me. Turning to Bradford, I say, "When you successfully opened the portal, we had just been talking about your ambush that had gone wrong." The frowns on the two mutants' faces deepen at the mention of their failure, but I continue. "We were speaking about it just as you slammed the Scepter down. Then the portal opened up to that very battle the night before."

I see comprehension begin to dawn on their stupid faces as they start to figure out where I'm going with this.

"So, perhaps we need to _say_ where we want to go before the Scepter will activate."

"It's worth a shot." Well, at least I have support from Xever. Bradford just crosses his arms and glares skeptically at me.

"So," Xever begins after a moment's pause. "Where should we make it go?"

After much debate we agree to try for a date when the turtles were younger, less experienced, and therefore more easily defeated. A time before I had been hired by the Shredder, before Bradford and Xever had been mutated, when the turtles would be completely unprepared to face us.

After several failed attempts, I try pressing the blue button while shouting out a date and location. Finally, with a blinding flash of light, a rectangular portal appears a few feet in the air behind Bradford and Xever.

I grin in satisfaction. "Bradford, get that powder ready. It's time to destroy some turtles!"

.o0o.

 _Leo's POV_

I let out a deep sigh as I emerge from my bedroom a couple hours after breakfast. I was attempting to meditate in an effort to calm my nerves, but I couldn't focus. I need to be moving. Sensei canceled training for today, apparently giving Donnie a break to process after his outburst yesterday, but I'm going to head to the dojo anyway and put in some personal practice time.

As I step silently down the stairs into the main room, I pause for a moment to watch the people who already occupy it. Sensei is sitting on the cushioned bench with Mikey beside him. Unusually, Sensei's arm is wrapped around Mikey in a way that might appear casual, but I can see by the fierce way his fingers are curled around the edge of Mikey's shell that he is clinging tightly, almost desperately, to his son, as though defying anyone to try and hurt him again. Mikey, for his part, seems to be basking in the rare show of physical affection and is curled contentedly against Splinter's side.

In front of them, on the floor, Donnie is sitting cross legged with small bits of electric machinery spread out in front of him, a screwdriver in his hand. That looks like. . . yep, it's the toaster. I know for a fact that I didn't break it this time, so what is Donnie doing. . . ?

I glance at Sensei's face. He is watching Donnie intently, scrutinizing his progress. I understand. This is some sort of assignment. Splinter is clearly trying to encourage Donnie to overcome his disability.

Well, the toaster is a good place to start. After all, one time when I guiltily brought him the apparatus, damaged yet again, Donnie told me in frustration that he had taken it apart and put it back together so many times that he could do it with his eyes closed. I guess he's about to find out if he was exaggerating.

I can see by the frustration on his face, though, that it isn't going well, but Donnie's not one to give up easily. He's clearly trying to mask his frustration behind grim determination. He keeps turning one piece over and over in his hand, trying to fit it into place.

Finally he growls out, "Come on, I've done this so many times! How can it be so _hard_ to do it just by feel?"

Before Sensei can intervene, I'm surprised to see Mikey slip down to the floor beside our genius brother. Then, guiding Donnie's hand, he helps him place the piece correctly. A look of surprise crosses Donnie's face, and then a half smile. "Thanks, Mikey."

Sensei is looking at them both with approval, then glances up at me. He knows I've been there the whole time, of course. No one can sneak up on him. I incline my head toward the dojo to let him know I'm going to train and he nods once in acquiescence.

I head at last into the dojo as Mikey continues to help Donnie put the toaster back together. How that kid knows how to do that is beyond me. I guess he's watched Donnie do it so many times. He's claimed before to have a photographic memory, and maybe there's something to that.

Anyway, time to focus.

I step onto the rugs, close my eyes, and breathe deeply as I draw my twin katanas from their sheaths with a satisfying _zing_. That sound alone does more to relax me than the previous hour of attempted meditation. I open my eyes again and begin to move, my body flowing from movement to movement with long practiced precision. I am in complete control here. This is my sanctuary where everything is predictable. Swing. Step. Lift the leg, spin, and kick. I have done these motions a thousand times. I run through kata after kata, the familiarity bringing comfort from my muscles to my anxious mind.

Suddenly I am aware that I am not alone.

I spin around without breaking the flow of my kata, to see Raphael entering the dojo. He is radiating emotion as he stalks toward me, muscles tense and eyes burning. He does not ask for an invitation but joins in without a word, raising his sai to block my katana as it swishes toward him. His intrusion is not unwelcome, however, and my simple katas gradually become more aggressive as we spar back and forth.

Still neither of us has spoken aloud, but our blows are growing stronger, fiercer, as we exert more and more strength, pouring our frustration, anger, and anxiety into our battle. He needs this as much as I do.

At last Raph breaks the silence as he dodges what would have been a powerful roundhouse kick to his head. "When are we getting our revenge, Fearless?"

"I don't know yet, Raph." I turn aside to avoid his sai and follow up with a blow from the handle of my katana, which he also manages to dodge. "We need a plan."

Raph growls in frustration, as I knew he would, and his next punch, which he successfully lands on my shoulder, has a little extra force thrown into it. "I've got a plan. We break into Stickman's lab, snag some of the fairy dust stuff for Donnie, and then beat Tiger Claw and Rahzar into a pulp while they beg us for mercy!"

"Raph, that's not a plan, that's the _goal_." There is a loud metallic _cling_ as my katana lands in the crook of his sai, and I find myself face to face with him as our weapons are locked together. "We can't just barge recklessly in there and hope all goes well."

"Why not?" Raph angrily breaks free of our gridlock and we dance around each other a bit, each dodging the other's blows.

"Because we're only half the team!" I land a kick on the back of Raph's shell, but he whirls around and retaliates. After blocking a few more of his punches, I add, "We're not ready. We have to plan this out. We have to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Is that why you're in here?" Raph growls fiercely, lashing out suddenly and knocking the katana from my left hand. "Practicing more? Because it won't work, Leo!"

My eyes go wide as, in a whirlwind of fury, Raph succeeds in pinning me against the wall, my right arm pressed against my side and his forearm raised against my chest, keeping me in place. Our faces are inches apart and though I could break free from his hold if I wanted to, my brother's anger is restraining me as effectively as his arms, and I wait to let him finish what he has to say.

"It doesn't matter how much you plan. It doesn't matter how much you practice. Because in the heat of battle things happen that you wish you could prevent. But some things you can't. No matter how much you trained you're still not. . . not strong enough. . . You can never be strong enough." As Raph's voice cracks with emotion I realize he's not talking about me anymore.

Slowly Raph releases his hold and lets his arms drop. I feel an urge to comfort him, to tell him that what happened to Mikey and Donnie wasn't his fault, but he's still bristling with frustration and I know it won't be appreciated. As my brother slowly turns away from me I make my decision.

"Tonight," I say decidedly, and he looks back at me over his shoulder, as if to check that he heard me correctly. "We'll go tonight," I repeat.

He gives me one satisfied nod and heads out of the dojo.


	19. Chapter 19: Communication

_Chapter 19: Communication_

 _Mikey's POV_

I plop the toaster, all newly put back together, on the counter and plug it in. I just stand there, staring at it for a few seconds. Donnie built the whole thing by _feel_ , which is totally amazing, but he doesn't seem happy about it. He pretended to be, but I can tell he's still all frustrated, and I think it's because I had to help him with it. Master Splinter seemed pleased, though, like he was proud of us working together or something, but Donnie is upset that he can't do things like he used to.

I sigh, still staring at the toaster. But he _did_ do it. Sure, I had to hand him pieces and show him where some of them fit, but who cares? I mean, look, there's the toaster, all put together like it should be, exactly like it would have been if he could see and had done it all on his own. If things can still get done, does it matter that we might have to work together more instead of Donnie doing it all by himself? It seems to matter to Donnie.

He needs something to make him feel better. And nothing makes Donnie feel better like a new project to work on. But what could he work on that won't make him feel frustrated?

My face is all screwed up from the hard thinking as I wander aimlessly out of the kitchen, not even limping 'cause my leg is barely hurting anymore.

Donnie and Master Splinter aren't in the living room anymore. I tap my finger on my chin. Hmmmm, what can I do for Donnie to help him feel confident again? There has to be something...

I suddenly realize I've walked toward Donnie's lab. His door is open and I see him sitting on his computer chair, one leg pulled to his chest with his chin resting on his knee. He looks _so_ depressed! I can tell he's been trying to keep up a positive attitude, at least in front of us, but whenever he's alone, all the hurt and sadness he's been locking up inside comes out. I want to go in there and cheer him up, but he needs a lot more than a hug right now and I can't even talk to him.

Wait that's it! We need to figure out a way for me to talk to Donnie. He would be so good at that, and maybe it would cheer him up just a little.

I walk away from the lab and take out my T-phone. For this I'm going to need an interperater – inpertrator – inter – uh, a person to tell Donnie what I'm saying.

I send a quick text to Leo.

 _ **Com to D's lab. I need u 4 sumthing.**_

I tap my foot impatiently while I'm waiting for him. After about a million seconds go by, I try again.

 _ **Leo, were r u?**_

After a million more seconds he's still not answering. Where is he? I stalk off to his room and find it empty. Wait, there's his phone on his bedside table. No wonder he wasn't answering! Annoyed, I grab it and rush to the dojo, because when you can't find Donnie, check his lab, and when you can't find Leo, check the dojo.

I nearly run smack into Raph as he's leaving the dojo, but instead of whacking me and telling me to watch where I'm going, he just grunts and walks away. I seriously hate it when everyone's sad.

Yep, sure enough, there's Leo, standing under the tree. Looks he and Raph were sparring. At least I hope it was just sparring, and not a serious fight. Nah, Leo doesn't look mad, so it must be all good.

"Hey, Mikey."

Geez, even his hellos are sad today. I toss him his T-phone and quickly send another text to it.

 _ **How m I suppose 2 tak 2 u if u dont hav ur phone?**_

He gives me a small smile that says _I'm sorry_ , but he doesn't say it out loud. Instead he says, "Man, Mikey, if texting is going to be your main form of communication, you really should learn to spell."

I stick my tongue out at him in response, but I'm not really annoyed. After all, he's attempting a bit of humor, and that makes me happier.

It takes me a few minutes to explain what I want him for, but soon he gets it and we head to Donnie's lab together.

My genius brother is still in the same place I last saw him, swiveling back and forth a little in his chair and running his fingers over some of the things on his desk.

"Hey, Donnie!" Leo sounds like he's trying to be more cheerful this time. At least he's putting the effort in.

Donnie looks up at the sound of Leo's voice, and I see him quickly try to cover the sad expression on his face with a fake smile. "Hey, guys."

Ha! He knows I'm here, too! And I was being extra stealthy quiet, too, just to see if he would notice me. He really should give himself more credit.

"Mikey says he wants to figure out a way for you two to communicate, since he can't text you."

"Oh?" Donnie's face perks up just the slightest bit at the idea. "Yeah, I've been thinking about that problem, too."

Of course he has. When is he _not_ thinking about problems to solve? I knew this would be a good idea.

"I've been thinking about maybe making some sort of text-to-speech app for his phone," Donnie continues, "but I can't get over the problem of how to create something like that if I can't see what I'm doing."

Trust Donnie to come up with a technical solution. I've got a better idea. I wave my hand to get Leo's attention. Then I move my hands around in a pretty good imitation of someone using sign language.

Giving me a skeptical look, Leo says, "You can't use sign language, Mikey. Donnie won't be able to see it."

Oh ye of little faith. Grabbing Donnie's arm, I drag him off his chair and sit down on the floor, pulling him down to sit in front of me. He looks really surprised, but doesn't protest, so I try to show them what I mean. I take one of Donnie's hands and trace a general wavy motion with my finger on his palm, making sure he can feel what I'm doing. Then I look up at Leo to see if he understands.

He's still looking at me with an I-don't-think-this-will-work expression. But when I turn back to Donnie, I see his sad frown start to turn into his thinking face. A spark lights up in that brain of his and I can tell he's considering the idea.

"Hmmm, you know, Mikey, you might be on to something here. If we can create our own signs that are not only easy for you to make, but easy for me to feel, this just might work." And there's the excited thinking-up-ideas look Donnie always gets when he's about to start a project. Yes! Operation Communication is go! I'll finally be able to talk to my brother, and it's cheering him up. Double win!

"Leo, we may need you to interpret a bit at the beginning, if that's okay," Donnie continues, and Leo obligingly sits down beside us. "And anyway, if we are able to create a usable sign language, you should learn it, too, and Raph and Sensei, so Mikey can use it with everybody. It would be way more efficient than texting."

"Well, you know, sign language has already been invented," Leo puts in. "Wouldn't it just be easier to learn real sign language instead of making up your own?"

I quickly shake my head, but before I can even begin texting Leo to tell him my reasons, Donnie steps in. "No, I don't think so, Leo. For one thing, those signs were created for people with five fingers, and many of them would be impossible for Mikey to do. Also, they were designed to be seen, not felt, and we'll need signs I can interpret through touch. And besides all that, you know Mikey has a hard time remembering things you try to teach him. He's way better at inventing. If he creates it himself, he'll remember it better."

Exactly what I was thinking, bro! Well, the last part, anyway. Coming up with my own language is way cooler than trying to learn someone else's. After all, I'm the best at naming stuff, and this will be like giving _everything_ new names! Man, I was just hoping to get Donnie excited about this, but now I'm getting pretty pumped, too.

"Okay, well, what should we start with?" Just what I was going to ask, Leo.

Donnie thinks a moment. "We should probably start with an alphabet. That way, if you're trying to say something, Mikey, and you come across a word you don't have a sign for yet, you can at least try to spell it."

Aw, of course Donnie would want to start with something boring and practical like letters. I want to make up words for awesome stuff like pizza, and Ice Cream Kitty, and Booyakasha! But this is making Donnie happy, so the ABCs it is!

.o0o.

 _Raph's POV_

I lay on my bed, lights off, letting the booming drumbeat and screaming lyrics from my stereo pound into my skull, numbing my mind. I don't want to think anymore, because all I can think about is my little brothers.

I want to forget for a while. Just for a few minutes. . .

I close my eyes, but I can still see the panic on Mikey's face. I can still hear Donnie screaming on the rooftop, drowning out the sound of the stereo. And I can't get rid of the fire in my chest, burning against those mutants for what they've done, and at myself for not being able to stop it.

This isn't working. With a growl, I sit up again and turn off the music. I need a distraction.

Punching the door open, I stomp out of my room, looking around for the others. The living room is empty, but I can hear voices coming through the open door of Donnie's lab. What are they doing in there?

"Okay, Mikey, those are good signs for Raph, Leo, and Sensei." Donnie's voice floats out of the lab. "What do you want to do next?"

"Wait." Leo's in there, too. "What about a sign for you, Donnie?"

I've reached the door now and I poke my head in to see what they're up to.

"Mikey won't need a sign for me because he'll be talking to me. He can just tap me or something to get my attention and that will work just as well."

Donnie is sitting in front of Mikey and they look like they're . . . holding hands? Leo is sitting nearby, his back to me, watching them. None of them have noticed me yet, so I just lean against the door post, trying to figure out what I'm watching.

"Yeah," argues Leo, "but what about when he's talking to _us_? He'll need a sign for you then."

Signs? I frown. Are they talking about sign language? Stepping into the room, I make my presence known. "What are you guys doing?"

All their faces turn toward me and Leo answers, "We're working on a sign language for Mikey. One that's easy for him to use to talk to Donnie. Raph, you should learn it, too, so you can understand him."

Something about this idea horrifies me and I don't answer. I just stand there, glancing back and forth between Mikey and Donnie. Doesn't this bother anyone else?

Mikey waves his hand in front of Leo's face to get his attention.

"What, Mikey, you have a sign for Donnie?"

He nods, and with a cheeky grin he swipes a finger over his front teeth, right in the spot where Donnie has a gap in his own teeth. Leo stifles a laugh with his hand.

"What's so funny?" asks Donnie. "What was the sign?"

Mikey grabs one of Donnie's hands, and making sure he can feel what he's doing, repeats the sign. For a split second Donnie looks puzzled, then he shoves Mikey's shoulder playfully as he pretends to be offended. "Come on, that's not going to be my sign!"

Mikey just grins and Leo chuckles again. How can they find this funny? This is the saddest, most _unfunny_ thing I've ever seen!

Donnie is still trying to look offended, but I can see the smile underneath. "Come on, Mikey, think of something else!" he pleads.

Mikey just shakes his head stubbornly, still smiling, and Leo says, "Nope! Sorry, Donnie, but that's officially Mikey's word for you now!"

They're all still laughing as I turn and rush out of the room. I can't stand it! Seeing my little brother moving his hands about like that makes me sick to my stomach. I don't care what Leo says, I don't want to learn his sign language! At least when he texts me I can still pretend that's normal.

I flop onto the cushions and turn on the TV, hoping for something to numb my mind.

Anyway, tonight Leo and I are going to get some of that sparkly powder, and then Donnie will figure out a cure, because I _know_ he still can, and then I won't _need_ to know Mikey's new language and everything can be the way it's supposed to be again.

I turn up the volume to drown out the laughter still coming from the lab.

.o0o.

 **AN: Hey, everybody! I know these last few chapters have been a little slow, but I promise the action will pick up again in the next chapter, when our fearless A-Team goes out seeking revenge. Stay tuned, and thanks so much for reading and reviewing!**


	20. Chapter 20: Revenge

**AN: Apparently this site is having some major issues right now, and when I updated this story last week, the notification email was never sent. A few of you found the update anyway, but in case you missed it, I did post chapter 19 last week, so make sure to go back and read that one before proceeding with chapter 20. Hopefully the notifications will work this week! And without further ado, have some A-Team action!**

 **.o0o.**

 _Chapter 20: Revenge_

 _Tiger Claw's POV_

A flash of bright light momentarily surrounds me as I leap back through the portal and land steadily on the stone floor of Shredder's throne room, the Time Scepter clutched in my hand. Bradford and Xever are right behind me. As soon as the portal closes behind them I growl in frustration.

"Nothing! We spent a week there and we never saw even a glimpse of the turtles!"

"Maybe we are going too far back in time," suggests Xever.

"That was only three years ago!" I growl back. Our plan of catching the turtles when they were younger has not been going well. We tried two different years and though we hung out in the part of the city where they most often appear, we haven't spotted them even once.

"Well, the turtles do live in secret," puts in Bradford, siding with Xever for once. "Maybe they didn't come out much when they were younger."

I growl again. "If only we knew where their lair was, we could transport ourselves directly inside it."

"Ha! Good luck with that!" scoffs Bradford. "Shredder's been trying to find that out ever since he first discovered the turtles."

Finally anger and frustration get the better of me and I toss the Scepter forcefully into a corner. "The stupid thing is useless unless we can think of a specific time and place we will be sure to encounter the turtles."

"Not that this hasn't been fun, but I'm going to bed," Xever says, clearly fed up. He strides out of the room and I don't bother to stop him.

"Well," begins Bradford hesitatingly, once we are alone. "Since the whole time traveling thing didn't really work out, why don't we try to find them now, in the present? After all, we've already taken out half their team. We shouldn't have a problem dealing with the rest of them." He pats the sack of powder he's attached to a belt around his waist.

I sigh in resignation. "Fine. We'll see if they're out tonight."

Leaving the useless Scepter lying in the corner, we head out into the night.

.o0o.

 _Raph's POV_

I hear a light tapping on my closed bedroom door. Finally! I leap instantly off of my bed and, making no noise at all, I open the door to see Leo waiting for me, fully armed and with smoke pellets and grappling hook tucked into his belt. He makes a silent signal that all's clear and in another moment we are making our way through the lair toward the turnstiles.

Man! I've been itching to get out and do this since that first night Donnie was attacked! Sensei has barely let us out of his sight since then, though, and we haven't managed to give him the slip until tonight. We both pretended to be asleep for a while because we knew he'd come check. Then Leo snuck out and made sure Splinter was really asleep. I let Leo do that part 'cause I was afraid I'd make a noise or something and wake him up. Anyway, he's asleep, Donnie and Mikey are asleep, and we are finally outta here!

As we climb a fire escape up to the rooftops, I can't help letting out a whoop. Nothing makes me feel so alive as being on the warpath! I am so pumped, and that flame inside me jumps up to full power as I gear up to get my revenge. Tonight our enemies will be sorry that they ever messed with the Hamato family!

We are running flat out over the roofs of the city toward the Shredder's lair and I can feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins. Suddenly Leo, who was a few steps behind, is right beside me.

"Okay, Raph," he begins, but I cut him off.

"No, Leo, we are not going over the plan again!" I'm on too much of a high right now and Leo is not going to bring me down with a bunch of boring orders and safety tips. I keep my eyes focused ahead as we leap over an alleyway.

"But -"

"I know the plan, Leo! Geez, I'm not Mikey! You don't have to say it ten times. Now let's just focus on the fun part, okay?" I picture pinning Rahzar to the wall with my sai. Very satisfying.

"Fine!" I can see I've ticked him off. Good, maybe it will fuel him to be more aggressive. "I just wanted to make sure nothing goes wrong!"

"Something always _does_ go wrong, Leo. We'll deal with it when it happens."

Leo doesn't answer as we jump onto a fire escape and start climbing to the top of the next, much higher building. As we reach the top, I expect him to try some lame argument about always being prepared, but instead I hear a much different voice.

"Well, well, looks like our guests have arrived."

Tiger Claw. And he's not alone. Rahzar is here, too. They've been waiting for us. I hear the _shing_ of Leo's katanas being drawn beside me and at the same second my sai are spinning beautifully in my hands. I somehow manage to deliver our enemies a death glare and grin at the same time. Looks like we don't have to run all the way to Shredder's lair after all.

.o0o.

 _Tiger Claw's POV_

We got lucky tonight. As soon as we reached the top of this tall building, Bradford and I were able to spot the turtles running toward us, unaware of our presence. Only two, and they were running with reckless speed, suggesting a lust for vengeance. Perhaps the others _did_ die after all. A smile formed on my lips as I began to taste the sweetness of revenge.

Now they are standing before us, caught by surprise. Before they have even fully analyzed the situation, the red banded one lunges, with an almighty shout, at Bradford, and the two are instantly engaged in fierce combat.

I immediately turn my attention to Leonardo. He is not rushing blindly into the fight like his brother. Rather, he is regarding me with an icy stare, keeping a firm grip on his katanas.

I know that look. It is the look of one who has lost much and will stop at nothing to gain his revenge. My smile widens at the pain behind his eyes. My own revenge is partly complete.

Without warning, though still I was ready for it, Leonardo rushes at me, swinging his katanas with cold precision. I duck out of the way and begin to fire my ray guns at him. His movements are almost impossibly fast as he weaves this way and that, dodging the fire and ice I continue to bombard him with.

We enter a kind of deadly dance, he dodging my guns and I his katanas, neither of us landing a blow. Rahzar and Raphael continue to battle nearby, but I am too focused on the turtle in front of me to see who has the upper hand. Leonardo leaps up and launches himself off the side of a water tower, directly at my head. I saw this coming, however, and I take advantage of the split second he is in mid-air and fire at him. He twists to avoid it, but the heat ray grazes his shoulder. He lands somewhat awkwardly, and I rush at him, but before I can strike, he smoothly recovers his landing and swings upward with a roundhouse kick.

I am unable to avoid it and my head suddenly explodes with the shock of the blow as his foot connects with my nose. I reel backward a couple steps as I feel blood begin to gush from my nostrils. In anger, I charge at the turtle again, blocking his successive attacks and dealing a few of my own.

"Bradford!" I shout. "Where's that powder?"

"I'm kinda busy over here!" he shouts back.

I spare a glance in his direction and see Raphael, practically on fire with rage, raining down repeated blows on the skeletal dog. It is all Bradford can do to keep his footing. The bag of powder in his belt is still unused. I have never seen the turtles this dangerous. This is definitely not the way we had planned this encounter.

I pay for my momentary distraction by receiving a slice across my arm from Leonardo's katana. I instantly retaliate and shoot my ice gun at him. I was aiming for his stomach, but he attempts to dodge it and it strikes his right knee.

The turtle makes no outward sound of pain, but his leg crumples under him and seeing my enemy thus inhibited, I take a moment to rush toward Bradford, intent on obtaining the powder. The red banded turtle has dealt him several severe blows with his sai and he has had no chance to use the deadly stuff. I aim a shot at Raphael, but the two are moving so quickly that the shot misses and grazes Bradford's shoulder instead. He growls angrily at me as I rush closer, but I ignore him, aiming to engage Raphael and give Bradford a moment to take the powder from his belt.

Just as I reach them, however, Raphael ducks away from Bradford with a shout, holding up his hand in a gesture of triumph. He is holding the sack of purple powder. In an act of stupidity, Bradford looks down at his now empty belt as if to confirm that the sack is really missing. Idiot.

Things have become tense as the turtles now possess our most dangerous weapon. I hesitate, not wanting to come too close and end up with a face full of the stuff.

Raphael moves over to Leonardo, who is regaining his feet.

"I got the powder, Leo!" he cries with glee. "Let's throw it at these guys and let them see how it feels!" He holds the bag threateningly toward us as Bradford and I both stare at him warily.

Leonardo stops him with a hand on his arm. "No, Raph. We need to bring that back to Donnie, remember?" I feel a growl rumble through my throat. So the purple one didn't die after all! These turtles are stealing my revenge!

"Come on," continues Leonardo, pulling something small out of his belt. "We'll destroy these guys again later. The powder is more important right now."

Raphael begrudgingly concedes. "Fine!"

Leonardo drops the item in his hand and the whole place is suddenly engulfed in purple smoke.

"No!" I cry in frustration as the smoke clears and reveals Bradford and I alone on the rooftop. "They got away!"

"And they took the powder!" growls Bradford in response. "Now we are _never_ going to destroy them all!"

"We should have been able to defeat them," I say bitterly. "There were only two of them, and they are only cubs."

"Yeah," says Bradford, "But somehow they _always_ win. We should have brought backup. We need to outnumber them."

This gives me a sudden idea. "Bradford!" I cry. "The Time Scepter!"

"What about it?" he growls in an annoyed voice.

"We can use it to come back to the beginning of this battle!"

"Why would we want to do that? Then we would have to lose all over again."

"No, you idiot!" I cry. "We wouldn't lose. We would outnumber them because we would be there twice! Then we can surely defeat the turtles and keep them from stealing our powder."

"We would be there twice?" Bradford's look of confusion slowly dawns into comprehension. "There would be two of me and two of you!"

"Come on, Bradford," I say with a grin. "Let's get the Scepter."


	21. Chapter 21: Repeat

_Chapter 21: Repeat_

 _Leo's POV_

We finally, finally got out of the lair! We are going to be in so much trouble when Splinter finds out about it, but that doesn't matter now. We have to show our enemies what happens when they hurt our little brothers. And more importantly, we need to steal the Time Scepter and get a sample of that powder for Donnie. I know he doesn't think he can do anything with it, but there is a slight chance he could, right? Even if it's a tiny chance, it's the only one he and Mikey have and that's enough reason for me and Raph to defy Master Splinter and attempt this dangerous mission on our own.

Raphael lets out a reckless whoop as we reach the top of the first building. It is dangerously loud, but I say nothing to scold him. After all, I'm feeling the same way. Adrenaline is pumping as we race across the rooftops at top speed.

Raph is running faster than ever, an intense combination of fury and wild joy on his face. He is dead set on revenge and in the mood he's in, there's no telling what he might do. I suddenly feel the need to remind him that, though we both wish to deliver payback, the primary focus of our mission tonight is to steal some of that powder for Donnie. It would be of little use to destroy our opponents and yet fail to obtain the one thing that might, possibly, hold the key to curing our brothers.

I put on a burst of speed to catch up to Raph, who is a few paces ahead of me. "Okay, Raph," I begin, catching his attention. He interrupts me aggressively before I can go any further.

"No, Leo, we are not going over the plan again!"

I'm annoyed at not being allowed to finish my sentence. I'm not trying to go over the whole plan again; I just think my hot-headed brother needs to get a reminder through his thick skull that tonight is about saving Mikey and Donnie. He can beat up the bad guys as much as he likes as long as we get that powder. I open my mouth to try again. "But -"

I only get one word out before he angrily interrupts again.

"I know the plan, Leo! Geez, I'm not Mikey! You don't have to say it ten times. Now let's just focus on the fun part, okay?"

There's not going to be any getting through to him tonight. "Fine!" I shout at him. "I just wanted to make sure nothing goes wrong!"

"Something always _does_ go wrong, Leo. We'll deal with it when it happens."

He's right, of course, but I'm not in the mood to concede his point. We begin climbing the fire escape of a tall building, and we reach the top before I think of a reply. I don't get a chance to say anything, though, because we are suddenly face to face with the very enemies we had been pursuing.

"Well, well, looks like our guests have arrived."

In less than a second our weapons are out and Raph is lunging at Rahzar, leaving me to face Tiger Claw, who is staring coldly at me, an evil, satisfied smile on his face. One glance and I see he does not have the Time Scepter, but the powder, at least, might be concealed somewhere.

I meet his eyes with a glare of my own, remembering the last time I saw him, standing over my brother in triumph as Donnie's screams filled the air. I feel a cold calm settle in the pit of my stomach. Tonight it is my turn. Gripping my katanas firmly, I make my move, rushing at my opponent with all the speed and agility I possess.

Tiger Claw ducks my first swing and begins firing his guns, keeping me leaping from one place to the next to avoid being hit.

Suddenly, a bright light glows behind Tiger Claw. Everyone on the rooftop momentarily stops fighting to turn toward the source in surprise. I instantly recognize the rectangular white portal hanging in the air a few inches above the rooftop. I hear the sound of a punch behind me, followed by a grunt from Rahzar as Raph apparently takes advantage of his opponent's distraction.

There is no time for any further attack, however, because two people suddenly leap through the portal and stand, grinning, in ready battle stance in front of us. It's Tiger Claw and Rahzar! I don't know what I was expecting, but having our enemies suddenly doubled definitely comes as a shock.

I'm not the only one who's surprised, though. The Tiger Claw I was fighting moments before looks stunned as well, but his expression slowly turns to one of understanding, then breaks into an evil grin.

"Excellent idea, _Tiger Claw_ ," he says to the version of himself that just leaped through the portal. The new version, I notice, seems rather beat up. He has several cuts and bruises and has recently been bleeding from the nose.

" _Yes!_ " cries Raphael from nearby. "Now I can beat you up twice!" And without another moment of hesitation, he and Rahzar are at it again, but this time the newly arrived Rahzar is joining in. I have to admit I feel nervous now. Tiger Claw and Rahzar are a handful at the best of times, and I don't know if Raph and I can handle them twice. After all, I'm used to having four guys on _my_ team.

Raphael seems to be handling himself pretty well, though, and I don't want to call a retreat while there's still a chance we can get the powder. I noticed that the first Rahzar has the pouch of it attached to his belt, and judging by the way Raph keeps trying to get close to it, he's noticed, too.

I turn back to the Tiger Claws who are still discussing their brilliant plan. I have to at least keep these two away from Raph long enough for him to get that bag of powder.

"What happened to you?" the first Tiger Claw is saying, gesturing at the second Tiger Claw's bloody nose.

In his moment of distraction, I make my move, swinging a powerful roundhouse kick directly into his face. He lets out a grunt of pain and raises his paws to his nose, which is now bleeding heavily.

"That," answers the second Tiger Claw.

In a moment they are both on me and it is all I can do to avoid the blows from my double enemy. Keeping in mind the idea of luring them away from Raph, I let my dodging steps lead me a few yards away. Staying out of the reach of the two tigers seems like a good plan to me. All the time I'm dodging the fire and ice from their four guns, I keep glancing toward the battle between Raph and the two Rahzars.

The two wolf mutants appear to be rather clumsy when fighting together. Being the same person, they seem to have the same ideas at the same time and keep bumping into each other, giving Raph a distinct advantage.

A heat ray suddenly grazes my foot, causing me to redirect my attention to the two mutants bearing down on me. Ignoring the stinging pain in my foot, I twist away in the opposite direction. I'm closer to Raph now, though my back is to him. I can still hear grunts and cries from the Rahzars, but I keep my eyes focused on the guns of the Tiger Claws. Dancing around like this is getting old. Doesn't he have any other attack methods?

Suddenly a cry of triumph from my brother makes me spare a glance behind me.

"Hey, Leo! I got it!" Raph is standing victoriously beside one Rahzar who is lying winded on the ground. Raph's hand is raised above his head with the leather bag of powder clutched tightly in it.

Grinning, I am about to call a retreat when I see what Raph does not. Behind him, the second Rahzar is gripping a piece of metal pipe he picked up off the floor. I am already moving to stop him, but I'm too far away. My warning cry sticks in my throat as Rahzar swings the pipe like a baseball bat and a sickening crack breaks the air as it connects with the back of Raph's head.

Raph stumbles forward a few paces, one hand clutching his head, before he clumsily turns around and attempts to swing a punch in retaliation. He is off balance, however, and sways as his eyes roll back in his head.

Time seems to slow as I watch my brother fall. His knees begin to buckle and he tips backward. I'm not moving fast enough! Why do my legs feel like lead? I dodge one last ice ray, but the tigers have stopped shooting at me for a moment. They are watching Raph, too.

The soft pouch slips from Raph's now limp fingers as he falls, and I watch in horror as the bag, not properly closed, spills its deadly contents on its way to the ground. The purple powder sparkles as it rains down on Raph, hitting him somewhere in the lower plastron and shimmering all down his legs before he hits the ground, falling back on his carapace, completely unaware of his danger.

With a cry of "RAPH!" my sluggish body finally seems to pick up speed and in an instant I am at my brother's side. The purple stuff is everywhere! Shining and shimmering all over his legs. I've gotta get it off! I've gotta get it off my brother!

Panicking, I try to brush the stuff off as quickly as I can. I'm vaguely aware that my enemies are just standing there, watching me. It doesn't matter. All that matters is getting this stuff off of Raph!

But it won't come off. Wherever the powder touched his skin it seems to have stuck there and is slowly fading, as if dissolving into his skin. This is bad, this is bad, this is bad!

Suddenly I notice a tingling sensation in my fingers and look down with the sudden realization that my own hands are now covered with the sparkly stuff as well. I frantically try to brush it off, but I've realized my mistake too late. In my haste to save my brother I didn't give a thought to my own safety.

My watching enemies chuckle at my panic as the tingling turns abruptly into stabbing pain. I let out an involuntary gasp. My hands and fingers are burning, throbbing, and it takes all my willpower to stifle the screams that threaten to burst from my mouth. But my enemies are watching me and I will not give them that satisfaction. Breathing heavily as my hands continue to spasm, I get jerkily to my feet and glare Rahzar in the eye. Despite my nearly helpless predicament, he suddenly looks less sure of himself and takes a step back from me.

At last the pain in my hands subsides, giving way to a blank numbness. I ignore it and assume a defensive stance, trying to keep all my enemies in my sights while at the same time keeping a mental note of Raph's condition. All the purple stuff has disappeared now, and with a sinking feeling I realize that means I'll have nothing to bring back to Donnie. Although at this point I think I'll be lucky to get myself and Raph back at all.

The first Rahzar has regained his breath and is picking himself up off the floor. With two Rahzars closing in on my right and two Tiger Claws on my left I am cornered without an escape route.

"You wasted all of our powder, freak!" Rahzar Number Two growls angrily at me. 'Freak', from him is a bit much, but I choose not to comment, preparing myself for their attack.

"Maybe not," says Rahzar Number One. "It seems to have gotten this turtle pretty good." He gives the unconscious Raph a kick as he passes him. A flare of anger rises in my chest at the sight.

"Leave him alone!" I cry.

"Or you'll what?" asks one of the Tiger Claws mockingly. I've lost track of which one is which. He smiles evilly and glances pointedly at my hands.

My katanas are lying forgotten a few yards away where I dropped them in my haste to get the powder off Raph. Looking at my hands, though, I doubt my swords would do me much good. My fingers ought to be curled into fists, awaiting the attack of my enemies, but I can't seem to control them. My hands are hanging rather limply from my wrists and giving the impression of complete uselessness.

I feel like freaking out at this point, but I don't have time for that. After all, my legs are still fully functional. As the nearest Tiger Claw makes a lunge at me, I kick him square in the gut, causing him to double over for a moment. But the next second both Rahzars are on me and though I try to jump and twist away, I only manage to land a kick on one before the other tackles me to the ground.

I squirm and wriggle and fight for all I'm worth. I can't be captured! I have to save Raph! I make it up onto my knees and almost get free, only to be kicked hard in the side by one Tiger Claw, while the other knocks me flat on my plastron. I spit out a mouthful of gravel and squirm again, but all four of my enemies are on me now and I'd have better luck freeing myself from under a building.

I glance over and see Raph, still lying unconscious nearby. We failed. I failed. "I'm sorry, Raph," I whisper before I feel a crack on the back of my head and everything goes black.


	22. Chapter 22: Proximity

_Chapter 22: Proximity_

 _Renet's POV_

I slump down on the sidewalk, exhausted. It's dark already, but despite my tiredness, I don't want to go to bed. Spending a _third_ night in that hotel seems so pointless! I _need_ to get the Time Scepter back!

From where I'm sitting, I can see the imposing Foot Headquarters building a block away across the street, far enough that the two guards won't notice me watching them.

I spent the better part of yesterday and this morning trudging through the sewers, calling out for the Turtles, but with no luck. The further I went, the more I became aware of just how _huge_ the sewer system is. And I haven't a clue where the Turtles' lair is. They could be on the other side of the city for all I know. It could take me _years_ to find them that way.

Eventually, earlier today, another blip appeared on the screen of the SpaceTime Disturbance Detector and I came back above ground to check it out. It was in the Foot Headquarters again. A second dot, in the same location, appeared a few hours later.

I look at the screen again. The most recent little green light is fading now. I raise my head to stare at the forbidding building again. A steady, bluish light is glowing from the windows, but there is no other indication of activity within. I want to know what's going on in there!

The Time Scepter has now been used three times since the Shredder got a hold of it, but as far as I can tell, nothing has changed. Of course, that's a stupid thing to think, because if something in history _did_ change, I wouldn't know. The change would become actual history and all I would remember is the way things are now.

But the kind of changes I would _expect_ haven't happened. I have a fairly good idea of the sort of things the Shredder would want to use a Time Scepter for, and they mostly involve destroying the Turtles. But if he had actually succeeded in this, then the Turtles would never go on to become famous warriors and save the world multiple times and I would never have heard of them. Actually, I probably wouldn't exist, because the human race probably wouldn't exist by my time. So, what is the Shredder actually doing?

A dozen different plans for sneaking into the Foot Headquarters have passed through my mind, but they all end up with me coming face to face with the Shredder. This is something I'm very much _not_ prepared to do. I'm not a fighter. The Shredder is one of the most skilled ninja masters in history, not to mention evil. I seriously doubt I'd be able to just _persuade_ him to hand over the Scepter. Most likely I'd end up killed.

But I can't just sit here all night! I have to think of something!

Getting up, I start wandering down the street again. Moving sometimes helps me think better.

I've gone a couple of kilometers, still coming up with nothing, when suddenly I hear a loud whoop from somewhere overhead.

Wait. I know that voice! That sounded like Raphael! Instantly, my eyes flick to the rooftops, and I am just quick enough to catch a flash of green soaring over the gap between the two buildings beside me.

The Turtle Warriors! I found them!

I immediately turn around and begin sprinting back the way I came, trying to follow the path the Turtles are taking. I catch the sound of muffled conversation far above, then another flash of green between buildings, but they're already a block ahead of me. They are so _fast_!

I keep running for a few more blocks, desperately scanning the rooftops, but I catch no further sight or sound of them. Eventually I slow down, feeling deflated. I've lost them. They were too quick and too quiet. Oh grock! I was _so close_!

I want to scream in frustration, but suddenly it occurs to me that maybe the Turtles were heading toward the Shredder's Lair. They were going in that direction. If I go that way I might be able to meet up with them.

I haven't gone far, however, when I suddenly see a familiar flash of bright white light on top of one of the taller buildings a couple blocks ahead. It continues to shine like a beacon from the rooftop as the device in my pocket begins beeping frantically. I pull it out, and sure enough, a new blip has appeared just ahead.

Someone is using the Time Scepter on that building!

I break into a run again, determined not to let this chance get away from me. In a few moments I'm standing at the foot of the building, looking up. Eight stories high. The white light is still glowing from the rooftop. The time portal is still open. I _need_ to get up there now!

I run around to the side of the building, searching for a way up, and I come across one of those old metal staircases attached to the side of the building. I think they were originally used to escape the building in case of fire or something, but I'm not sure. Doesn't matter. It will serve my purpose.

With heart pounding in my chest, I begin rushing as quickly as I can up the stairs, keenly aware of just how much loud clanging and banging the metal steps make as I clamber up them.

On the fourth landing, halfway up, I pause to catch my breath. It has just occurred to me how stupid it would be for me to barge up there, loudly announcing my presence with every step. Someone is using the Time Scepter up there. I know the Shredder has the Time Scepter. What if _he's_ up there, fighting the turtles? That would not be a safe situation to blunder into. I need to be more cautious.

But it is so difficult to go carefully when my heart is thumping frantically, _hurry, hurry, hurry!_ Suddenly I hear an anguished cry from above.

"RAPH!"

That sounded like Leonardo. Raphael must be in trouble. As I climb higher, willing myself to go quietly, I can hear some other scary sounding voices I don't recognize, and the scuffling sounds of battle, growing clearer the higher I get.

At last I reach the top and peer cautiously over the edge. The time portal is hanging open on the other side of the building, and the light from it falls on several figures nearby. I don't see the Shredder, as I had expected, which comes as a relief, but I do see four very large, very frightening looking mutants. Oh grock! That's Tiger Claw, the famous assassin! Wait! There's two of him. And the other is a scary wolf mutant I remember seeing a picture of, but I don't recall his name. He's also here twice!

My experience with time travel makes this double scene less weird than perhaps it should be, but it's no less scary.

Worst of all, one of the Tiger Claws and one of the wolf mutants are picking up the two limp bodies of Raphael and Leonardo from the rooftop and slinging them over their shoulders. No! They're not. . . not dead? They can't be! They have to save the world! Unconscious, maybe?

My heart is pounding as I listen to the growling voices of the intimidating mutants.

"Come on," says the Tiger Claw holding Leonardo. He motions to the wolf bearing Raphael. "Let's take the turtles back to Headquarters." He begins moving toward the time portal. The others follow.

Suddenly, he spins around. "Hey, what are you two doing?" he growls at the two who are not carrying turtles.

"We're going back to Headquarters, like you said," answers the other wolf vehemently.

"Not through the time portal, you idiot! That's where _we_ came from. You two have to go back the normal way and use the Time Scepter to come to the beginning of the battle, or else we would never have showed up and won the fight!"

"But you already did that," protests the wolf. He's clearly not the brightest of the group.

"Don't you get it?" Tiger Claw is shouting now. "We _are_ you! If you don't go back and use the Scepter now, then _we_ never would have done it, either!" And with that, he turns in frustration and leaps through the portal, taking Leonardo with him. He is followed quickly by the wolf carrying Raphael, and the portal closes behind him. No no no no! They're getting away! They have the Time Scepter, _and_ the Turtle Warriors and they're getting away!

Before I can think of any stupid plans for saving the Turtles, the two remaining mutants have leaped over the far edge of the building and disappeared. Well, at least I know where they're going!

Without another thought, I fling myself back down the metal stairs, not bothering to keep quiet this time. I reach the bottom in record time and tear off toward the Foot Headquarters. Sure enough, as the building comes into view, I catch a glimpse of the freaky mutants slipping around the side.

Throwing caution to the winds, I pelt after them. I turn into the side alley just in time to see an almost hidden side door swinging shut. Despite a stabbing stitch in my side, I increase my speed and reach the door just before it closes. Jamming my toe in the gap, I stop it from latching, and without thinking, I dart inside after the mutants.

This is, by far, the _stupidest_ thing I've ever done. I have no clear plan at all. I just know that these guys have the Time Scepter, and now they have captured ( _not_ killed!) some of the Turtle Warriors and they must be stopped! No more sitting around waiting for a plan to present itself. With adrenaline pumping through my veins, I'm feeling brave and reckless, which is a dangerous combination, but I don't care. I've messed up really badly this time and I _must_ get the Scepter back and set things right!

It is very dark inside the door, and I pause for a moment to let my eyes adjust before figuring out which way to go. I am in a fairly long, stone corridor which reminds me vaguely of a castle I once visited in the Middle Ages. To the left, the passage ends in a staircase, going down. I can hear muffled voices from that direction. The mutants must have gone down there.

I follow them, more slowly and carefully this time. The creepiness of this place is starting to bring me back to my senses and I'm determined not to do anything more foolish than I've already done.

I haven't even reached the staircase when I suddenly hear very heavy footsteps behind me. There is no place to hide. Nothing but bare, stone walls. In a sudden fright, I wheel around to see who's coming and find myself staring up at the ugly and very intimidating face of a massive mutant rhino. I don't recognize this guy. He must not have been important enough to make it into the history books, but that doesn't make him any less of a threat _now._

One glance at his immense fists, embedded with brass, and my mouth goes suddenly dry. All my muscles seem to have stopped working. In any case, they're not obeying my mental command to _run_!

"Vell, Vell," the rhino says, in a deep, thickly accented voice. "Vhat ve haff here? Leetle girl come to veesit Shredder?"

At last my legs start moving, but I'm not fast enough. In one swift motion he reaches out and snatches me, my entire arm enclosed in one of his fists. Ow ow ow! I immediately give up any hope of a struggle. I can feel the strength in that giant hand. He could crush my bones with one squeeze if he wanted to!

"Shredder ees not here, leetle girl," he says, staring at me with one cold eye. "But he does not like the trespassers on his property. You vill vait in dungeon until Shredder returns."

No no no! With a painful wrench of my arm, he lifts me bodily off the ground and hauls me down the passageway.

Five minutes later, the iron barred door of a dungeon cell clangs behind me with resounding finality. As the heavy footsteps of the rhino mutant fade away, I am left alone, my arm throbbing, staring through the dark at my bag of precious supplies that was tossed aside, just out of my reach. My heart sinks to my toes as I realize this day can hardly get any worse.

It's only a matter of time before the Shredder destroys the Turtle Warriors and erases the entire future of mankind. My only consolation is that there will be no one left to remember that it was my fault, not even Lord Simultaneous. In complete despair, I slump down in one cold corner, waiting to disappear from existence.


	23. Chapter 23: Imprisoned

_Chapter 23: Imprisoned_

 _Splinter's POV_

My eyes snap open as I am drawn suddenly from my dreams into instant wakefulness. Something is not right. I sit up in bed, listening. My whiskers twitch and I can tell by the feel in the air that it must be about three o'clock in the morning.

My ears raised, I listen intently to the faint sounds of the sleepless city above me, but nothing seems amiss there. It is here in the lair. Something is absent. I strain my ears, noting every familiar sound of our home at night. There, that is what is missing. I cannot detect the soft roar of Raphael's snores.

The next instant I am on my feet. It's nothing, I tell myself. Perhaps he simply woke up hungry.

But I cannot fool myself. I would not have woken up in a state of agitation just because one of my sons decided to have a midnight snack.

I have reached the boys' bedrooms now. Michelangelo's door is slightly open, and I can see him sprawled across his bed, the blankets twisted and crumpled over only half his body, an open comic book draped over his face. The pages of the magazine flutter with each breath he takes.

I turn away from this peaceful scene and reach for the closed door across the hall. It takes less than a second for me to confirm that Raphael's bed is indeed empty, as I had feared.

I feel the familiar grip of paternal anxiety as I hasten next to Leonardo's room. As I expected, his bed, too, is abandoned.

The absence of my oldest sons does not come as a surprise. I knew, after all, that it was only a matter of time before they disregarded my orders and sought vengeance for their brothers' calamities. But being anticipated does not make their disobedience any less frightening. I must act quickly.

"Donatello! Michelangelo!" I call loudly, using my most commanding tone.

Responding to the urgency in my voice, the two boys arrive at their respective doorways in an impressively short amount of time.

"What is it, Sensei?" Donatello asks anxiously.

"Raphael and Leonardo are missing."

Neither of my sons seem surprised by this news. I frown at them. "Did you know about this?"

Donatello sighs. "Not in detail, no, but I suspected it would happen fairly soon."

Michelangelo nods in agreement. Apparently I was not alone in my predictions.

"Donatello, I need you to show me how to track their phones. We must locate them immediately."

"Hai, Sensei," Donatello responds as he follows me to his lab.

"Michelangelo, get your gear. You will be coming with me."

With a quick bow of obedience, Michelangelo darts back into his room.

.o0o.

 _Raph's POV_

My head hurts. Ow, it feels like someone's playing the drums inside my brain. I try opening my eyes, but a way-too-bright light sends daggers into my skull. I guess I'll keep them closed for a few more minutes.

I've got that weird disoriented feeling, like I've been asleep or unconscious for a while. What happened? It's really hard to think with this pounding in my head.

"Raph? Raph are you awake?"

I have to admit, I kind of expected Donnie's voice. The other times I've woken up feeling like I'd been hit by a truck, I've found myself in the brainiac's lab dealing with the aftermath of a battle. But the concerned voice calling to me is Leo's.

I groan and try to open my eyes again. After blinking a few times, the light doesn't seem so bright. I look up and see Leo's face, slightly out of focus, looking down on me with his annoying, worried big brother look.

"I'm fine, Fearless," I mumble, trying to get him to stop looking at me like that. To prove it, I prop myself up on my elbows in a half sitting position. Whoa, that was a bad idea! Now I'm dizzy, too. Okay, lying down seems pretty good right now. I slowly lower myself back down onto the hard surface beneath me.

Wait, is that concrete? Why am I lying on the floor?

I open my eyes again to get a better look at the place. This is definitely not Donnie's lab. I'm lying on a cold floor, with Leo kneeling beside me, watching me. I glance around at the bare concrete walls and ceiling. One of the walls is made of glass. It's a window that looks out onto - Oh no. Stockman's lab. We're in one of the cages in Stockman's lab. The memory of our fight against our double enemies comes back to me all at once.

Great. Just great. I close my eyes and lay my head back down again. The throbbing is starting to go away.

"How are you feeling, Raph?" Leo's voice sounds really worried.

"I told you I'm fine. Just have a headache." I gingerly feel the back of my head with my fingers. There is a sizable lump there and quite a bit of dried blood. That explains the headache.

"I'm sorry about your head, Raph."

Is he seriously going to take the blame for this? Geez, I think he feels personally responsible for everything bad that happens in the world.

" _You_ didn't hit me, Leo. Stop beating yourself up about it."

"No, I mean, that wound should have been wrapped up. I tried to, but . . . I couldn't."

What is he talking about? Wait, is he hurt? I open my eyes again and look more closely at him. My vision is much clearer now. Leo is looking down at his hands in his lap with some weird guilty-sad expression. He doesn't _look_ injured. A couple minor scrapes and bruises, maybe, but nothing worse than that.

"What do ya mean, Leo?" I prop myself up on my elbows again, more successfully this time. At least the room isn't spinning anymore.

Without saying anything, Leo holds his hands out to me, palms upward. I'm half expecting to see a finger missing, or a bloody gash, or _something_ , but they look perfectly fine to me. I raise an eye ridge at him. "Is there supposed to be something there?"

He sighs and says quietly, "I can't move them."

"What do ya mean?" I ask again, feeling a trickle of cold dread in my stomach.

"I can't move my hands, Raph." Leo's voice is surprisingly calm. "I can't even feel them. It's like they're not even a part of me." As he tells me this he moves his arms around a bit, but instead of gesturing normally, his hands just hang limply from his wrists. Lifeless. The cold dread in my stomach tightens its grip.

"What happened?"

"It was the powder. It got on my hands and I couldn't get it off."

I was afraid of that. I suddenly have a hundred questions about what happened on that rooftop after I got knocked out, but the thing that's bugging me the most right now is Leo's attitude. Why isn't he freaking out about this? If it was me I would be going completely nuts, but he's not. He's just sitting there acting all calm, and, I dunno, _resigned_. And he keeps looking at me with this worried face like he's more concerned about _me._ Come on, I just got a bump on the head. The guy can't move his hands, and he's worried about _me_?

Before I can think of anything to say, though, Leo asks, almost nervously I think, "What about you, Raph?"

"What _about_ me, Leo? My headache's going away. I'll be up in a few minutes. I'm more concerned about _you_! And about getting outta here," I add, looking around at our prison again.

"What about. . . what about your legs?" Leo's voice sounds really small and nervous now and it's kinda freaking me out. "How do your legs feel?"

"What? They're fine!" Why is he even asking about my legs? They don't hurt at all. Just to make sure, though, I look down at them. No injuries. They look perfectly normal.

Just like Leo's hands. . .

The knot of fear in my stomach grips tighter, and I decide suddenly that it's time to stand up and get out of here. My head is much clearer now and I sit up straighter. I move my legs under me to stand up.

Whoa! Something's wrong. I _tried_ to move my legs under me, but they didn't budge. I try again. Nothing.

"Leo? Why won't my legs move?" My voice sounds weird and hollow with the effort of trying to keep my panic inside. With a burst of anger, or maybe fear, I punch my own thigh, hard. It feels exactly like punching someone else. I can't feel it at all.

"Dammit, Leo!" I'm shouting now. "What the _shell_ is wrong with my legs?"

I turn to him in desperation and see that horrible, crumpled up, holding-in-the-sadness look on his face.

"Raph, I -" Leo doesn't seem able to finish his sentence.

"Leo, what happened?" I growl at him. He better start giving me answers or I'm gonna punch that awful look off his face. "Why the hell don't my legs work?"

"When Rahzar hit your head and you fell, you dropped the bag of powder and it spilled all over your legs." He says this quietly, matter-of-factly, like he's trying not to freak out. "I tried to get it off, but. . ." He holds out his hands instead of finishing his sentence.

"What? You _touched_ that stuff? What were thinking, Leo?" I'm shouting way too loud, but I don't care.

"I was _thinking_ that I needed to get it off of _you_!" Leo yells back.

"Well, that was stupid! Now we're _both_ useless!"

"You think I don't know that, Raph? I realized it right away, but it was too late!"

"So then I suppose you couldn't fight properly and got us both captured!" We're right in each other's faces now, yelling our heads off.

" _I_ got us captured? You weren't exactly much help while you were lying there unconscious on the ground!"

"I only got hit because I was following _your_ plan and trying to get the powder first instead of just beating the bad guys into a pulp like I _should_ have been doing!"

Leo breathes in sharply and doesn't reply. I know I've hit a nerve there. Whenever one of his plans goes wrong, Mr. Guilty here takes all the blame, whether it was his fault or not. Leo leans away from me and looks down, ending our shouting match.

Winning this argument doesn't make me feel any better, though, because now I've got brooding, sad, it's-all-my-fault Leo back, and I'd rather have angry, shouting Leo any day. I wasn't really mad at him. The yelling was just helping to relieve the tension. Now it's over, though, I'm forced to think about the huge problem again.

Once more I try to bend my knees, move my feet, anything! But my stupid legs just lie there, not doing anything I tell them to. No! This can't be happening. It just can't be.

I almost forget about the fact that we're locked up in Stockman's lab. We've been captured before. We always get free. No biggie. But this! This is like being a prisoner in my own body.

I suddenly realize that my heart is pounding against my plastron and I'm breathing in short little gasps of panic. This can not be happening. It can't. It _can't_!

Without warning, Leo throws his arms around me and pulls me into an awkward hug, saying, "I'm _so_ sorry, Raph!"

Yeah, I'm so not in the mood for a hug right now. I need something to punch. Preferably a bad guy's face, but if Leo doesn't let go of this sappy guilty act soon, I'll settle for his.

"Get off me, Leo!" I growl at him, shoving off his pity and pushing him away. "When are you gonna get it through your thick skull that this isn't your fault?"

He looks slightly hurt at being pushed away, but I really can't care right now. He's still got _it's all my fault_ written all over his face.

"But my plan - "

"Shut up, Leo! Your plan was fine, alright? There's no way you could have predicted that we'd have to fight _two_ Rahzars and _two_ Tiger Claws. No one's blaming you, okay? So quit beating yourself up and help me think of a way outta here."

Frankly I think that finding a way out in our current condition is gonna be nearly impossible, but we could both use the distraction right now.

Finally Leo loses the guilty expression. He's got his leader face back on now, the thoughtful one where I can tell he's working on a plan. He really doesn't have much to work with, though. We're in a sealed concrete cage with no weapons, no T-phones, Leo can't use his hands, and I can't... you know. Yeah, if he comes up with a successful plan in this situation, I'll hail him as the best leader in history. Though not to his face, of course.

Leo gets up and begins to make an inspection of our prison, examining each wall carefully. He spends extra time on the glass wall, which has a sealed door in it. He looks closely at the lock on the outside of the door, then stares for a while at the deserted lab beyond the window where he can see a pile of our weapons and phones on one of the tables. Finally he kicks the glass a couple times for good measure, though we both know that won't work. I would've done the same. At last he comes back and sits beside me again.

"Got anything, Fearless?"

He doesn't answer. Instead he says, "Can you help me with something?"

"Um, sure."

He holds his lifeless hands out toward me. "Could you wrap them for me?"

"What? Why?"

"Just take the wrappings off my wrists and use them to bind my hands into fists. They'll be more useful that way."

I see his point. Having them in fists would be better than if they were just flopping limply around. At least he'd be able to punch stuff then. I do what he asks, curling his fingers into fists and binding them tightly in place. He watches the whole process with a blank expression like he's trying not to think too hard about what's happening.

As I finish, I ask him again, "So, what's the plan?"

He sets his jaw in a resigned sort of way and says a little too calmly, "Our T-phones are on a table just outside this cage. They have not been destroyed, so they can still be tracked. We just have to wait for Sensei to come and rescue us."

 _That's_ all he's got? So much for the best leader in history award. But since I don't have any better ideas, I just fold my arms and grumble, still seriously thinking about punching him in the face.


	24. Chapter 24: Mission

**AN: Surprise! I'm posting an extra chapter this week! This chapter is shorter than usual, so I didn't feel like it was fair to make you guys wait a whole week for it, so consider it a bonus. :D The next chapter, which is longer, will arrive on schedule on Saturday. Enjoy!**

 _Chapter 24: Mission_

 _Mikey's POV_

I tie my belt and mask on with double quick speed, slip on my knee and elbow pads, tuck my chucks in my belt, and grab some throwing stars for good measure.

I'm kind of excited that Sensei wants me to come with him to help find Leo and Raph. This is going to be totally epic! Master Splinter is like the most kickass ninja _ever,_ and if we meet up with any bad guys tonight, they won't stand a chance. And even if we don't – if we find Leo and Raph before they make it to Foot Headquarters – it will _still_ be epic because they will be in _so_ much trouble and I'll get to watch Sensei lay the smack down on them.

Not that this whole thing comes as much of a surprise. I'm pretty sure we all knew those two would run off seeking revenge or whatever. I mean, we're talking about Leo, mister hero boy who's all about justice and honor for the Hamato clan and stuff, and Raph, who is all like, if you hurt my brothers I hurt you. What else were they going to do?

Master Splinter is already sitting at Donnie's computer, with Donnie behind him giving him instructions, when I catch up with them in the lab. I don't join them right away, though, because they seem to be a little bit frustrated, and I know this would not be a good time to get in the way.

I notice a few smoke bombs lying on Donnie's work table and I decide to add them to my stash of gear. Those things always come in handy. And hey! There's Donnie's portable Kraang portal, the one that took us to Dimension X that first time when we were rescuing Leatherhead. I grab that, too, because I've already learned how useful these can be. Feeling properly prepared now, I sneak closer to Donnie and Sensei, who seem to be having some trouble on the computer.

"I _did_ click on the third option, Donatello."

"Are you sure, Sensei? Because that should have worked."

"I am sure."

"Wait, bring up that menu again."

"It is on a different screen now. That menu is no longer there."

"Well, just go back to the last screen!"

"How?"

"Hit the 'back' button!"

"Which one is the back button?"

Donnie looks like he's going to explode from frustration while Sensei looks like he's trying _really_ hard not to start yelling. Splinter's not stupid when it comes to computers, but I'm pretty sure the stuff he knows about them is at least ten years out of date. And even if it wasn't, Donnie's computers sort of run on their own level, probably because he built them himself, and I'm not sure anyone else would know how to use them.

Anyone but me, that is!

I quickly step in front of Donnie, who is now holding one fist to his forehead and breathing deeply, trying to calm down. I lean over Sensei, grab the mouse from him, and start clicking to bring up the screen they want.

"Whoa, Mikey! What are you doing?" Donnie suddenly calls out, grabbing the back of my shell to pull me away.

I snatch his other hand and trace my sign for _help_ on it.

"You're helping? How? Sensei, what did he do?"

"Actually, he brought up exactly the screen we wanted." Sensei gives me a smile that shows he's really glad I stepped in, then turns quickly back to the computer.

Ha! See? I don't just break stuff when I'm hanging out in Donnie's lab. Sometimes I pay attention, too.

A few seconds later I see two blinking dots on the screen, one blue, one red. They're pretty much on top of each other, so Leo and Raph must be in the same place. I look closer as Sensei figures out the address.

"They are in Foot Headquarters," Splinter says suddenly. His voice sounds worried and in a hurry. He stands up quickly. "Michelangelo, come! There is no time to lose!"

Giving Donnie a quick wave that he doesn't see, I leave him standing all alone in his lab and rush after Master Splinter, who has already disappeared over the turnstiles.

Sensei moves super fast and super quietly through the sewers, and if I didn't already know which way he was going to go, I would have had a hard time following him. Good thing I'm the speediest turtle around _and_ a ninja. I catch up with him by the time he's going out through a manhole.

Before we climb up onto the roofs, Sensei motions to me to follow him closely and not to make a sound. Yeah, that last part is a lot easier for me now than it used to be. In a second we are on the roofs and running at top speed. My hurt leg twinges a bit, but no way am I going to complain to Sensei about it. I can't risk him sending me back to the stuffy lair and making me miss all the fun.

The air is warm and breezy, even though it's the middle of the night, and it feels so good after being stuck down in the lair for a few days. I can barely see Master Splinter as he darts from shadow to shadow, just like a real rat. I wonder if he can do that because he's a ninja, or because he's a rat? Maybe both.

A car horn beeps and I glance down at the street. Oh, look! There's my third favorite human – the pizza delivery boy! Aw man, he's got three pizzas on the back of his bike and I can smell the cheese from here! And sausage, and pepperoni, and I wonder if I could jump down there and snatch the pizza off his bike and take a slice without him or Master Splinter noticing? Nah, I could probably get away with that if I was with my brothers, but Sensei wouldn't allow it, and anyway the delivery boy is long gone already. Man, he has the coolest job ever! He gets to take pizzas all over the city. But I guess he doesn't get to eat any of them, so that would be a bummer, but – whoa, Master Splinter stopped!

I skid to a stop a couple feet beyond Splinter and then duck back into the shadows beside him. Foot Headquarters is looming up ahead, looking like some bizarre cross between a creepy church and a haunted castle. I wonder how the ordinary humans who live in this part of the city don't know that there's an evil overlord living here. I mean, the place is just screaming "Evil Lair"!

"Michelangelo," Splinter's voice cuts through my thoughts, soft and quiet, but demanding my full attention. I look him full in the face to show I'm listening.

"Remember, we are here to rescue your brothers and bring them safely back home."

I nod in understanding.

"Now, they may be doing battle in there, or they may have been captured. They may even be injured. We will not know until we find them. If they are hurt, or in need of any assistance, your priority will be getting them out of there. I will engage any enemies who might be present and keep them distracted so that you can take your brothers home. If we are separated, we will meet back at the lair. Is that understood?"

I nod again.

"Remember, you must get your brothers home at all costs, even if it means leaving me behind. Do you understand?"

My eyes widen a bit at this possibility, but I nod again. After all, Sensei's the awesomest ninja ever and he can definitely take care of himself.

"Good, then let's go. And remember, Michelangelo, do not make a sound, and do not engage the enemy until it becomes necessary to do so."

Without waiting for another nod from me, he slinks off across the street, looking for a way to infiltrate the Shredder's Lair. I follow close behind.


	25. Chapter 25: Humiliation

_Chapter 25: Humiliation_

 _Leo's POV_

I wish I could offer Raph more than just a hope that we get rescued. I wish I could tell him I have a brilliant, fool-proof plan to get us safely out of here, destroy our enemies, and find a cure for all the problems this wretched powder has caused. I'm the leader. I'm supposed to come up with a plan to save us all. But I can't. No matter how hard I wrack my brains, I come up empty. Useless. I guess this is how Donnie's been feeling lately.

Raph continues to glare, his anger and frustration being directed at the only person in the room: me. I don't bother trying to calm him down. As long as he's spending his energy being angry at me, he doesn't have to stop and think too hard about everything that's happened.

I look around at our prison again, desperate to find something, _anything_ that I might have overlooked. There _has_ to be a way out of here!

Loud noises suddenly break the silence. A door slamming open, footsteps and voices. Raph and I both instantly turn our heads to the source of the noise and see Tiger Claw, Rahzar, FishFace, and Stockman enter the lab, arguing furiously.

"I told you not to take all the powder!" buzzes Stockman angrily.

"Yeah, well you don't order me around, you pesky fly!" shoots back Rahzar.

"But you wazzzzzted it all!" shrieks Stockman. "I had big planzzzzz for that zzzzztuff and now it'zzzzz all gone!"

"Well, at least they captured a couple of the turtles because of it," puts in FishFace, but Stockman won't be pacified.

"That powder could have done zzzzzo much more than damage a few turtlezzzzz!" he cries. "It took me agezzzzz to find it! I zzzzzearched all the Kraang basezzzzz and there izzzzzz no more left!"

All four of the undesirable mutants have reached the front of our cage by now and Tiger Claw silences them with a wave of his paw when he notices me and Raph glaring at them.

"Well, looks like our prisoners are finally awake," he growls with a grin.

Raph and I don't answer.

"Well, at leazzzzt let me inzzzzpect them to zzzzzee what zzzzzort of effect the powder had on them," buzzes Stockman, taking out a key and moving toward the door of our cage.

Raph bristles at that, and I instinctively leap to my feet and move into a protective stance in front of my brother. As I watch the fly mutant begin to unlock the cage, I am aware that, under normal circumstances, Raph and I would take that opportunity to jump him and rush out the open door. If I was alone, I would still attempt it. But since Raph isn't going to be doing any running or jumping today, this is obviously not an option.

"Leo," mumbles Raph under his breath. "Now's your chance. Get out of here and go get Master Splinter."

"Raph," I whisper back, keeping my eyes on the fly mutant unlocking the door. "If you think for one minute that I'm going to leave you behind here -"

"There's no way you're getting us both out of here alive and you know it, Leo! Just go!"

"This is not up for discussion!" I hiss sharply at him, as Stockman opens the door and steps into our cage.

Rahzar and FishFace move to follow, but Tiger Claw puts out an arm to stop them. "Hold it!" he growls. "Those turtles are _my_ prisoners. I will be delivering them to the Shredder, and he wants them _alive_."

"I won't _kill_ 'em!" Rahzar shoves Tiger Claw's paw out of the way and follows Stockman through the cage door. "I just want to teach 'em a lesson."

Tiger Claw lets them go, but stands guard outside, watching closely through the glass.

I crouch low as the mutants approach, and raise my bound fists menacingly. On the floor, a little behind me, Raphael is glaring daggers at them. Our intimidation tactics seem to have no effect, however, as Stockman moves toward us with less trepidation than usual, flanked by the two somewhat more alarming figures of Rahzar and FishFace.

"Still can't approach us with even odds, huh, Dogbreath?" Raph sneers at Rahzar.

Personally, I don't think he's in any position to be taunting the huge mutant wolf, and Rahzar seems to agree. He growls angrily and makes to rush at Raph, but Stockman stops him.

"Wait! Wait! I need to azzzzess the damage before you, ah, damage them further."

Rahzar takes a step back, begrudgingly, as Stockman moves toward us, something glinting in his claw. It looks like a syringe. I don't know what's in that, but no way am I letting him stick a needle in either of us!

With one powerful and unexpected twirl, I kick the syringe clear out of the fly's claw and send it flying into the concrete wall, where it smashes into a thousand pieces. That brings me a brief feeling of satisfaction, but there are still three hideous mutants converging on us, and one particularly strong one waiting outside, so it's not time to celebrate yet.

"Bradford!" buzzes Stockman, with a weird whine in his voice as he jumps hastily back, away from me. "You zzzzaid they were incapazzzzitated! You zzzzzaid you captured them eazzzzily!"

Bradford just growls, but I shout, with more confidence than I feel, "Ha! He exaggerated. It took two of him and two of Tiger Claw to take me down! You wanna try next?"

Stockman backs away a little more and I feel a slight victory. I'm really just trying to buy time while I try to think of some sort of desperate plan.

FishFace and Rahzar, however, are not so easily intimidated. With an evil chuckle, FishFace begins to approach Raphael. "Looks like this one has been damaged quite successfully. What's the matter, Raphael? Having trouble standing on your feet?"

"No!" shoots back Raph haughtily, folding his arms and putting on an air of defiant indifference. "I just couldn't be bothered standing up to greet ya."

Valiant attempt, Raph, but no one's buying it. FishFace has nearly reached Raph now, and stepping away from Stockman and Rahzar, I attempt to position myself between my brother and his most immediate threat. Unfortunately, our enemies decide not to give us any advantage by coming at us one at a time, and Rahzar immediately joins the conflict, grabbing me by the back of the shell and pulling me away from Raph and FishFace.

I react instantly, spinning around out of his grip and landing a kick on his arm. As soon as I'm free, I try to rush back to my brother's aid, but Rahzar isn't going to be discouraged that easily. He sweeps his leg under me, nearly succeeding in tripping me, but I notice just in time and leap up out of the way. All the time Stockman is buzzing around, keeping just out of reach, clearly unwilling to engage in a battle and waiting for us to be more _incapacitated_.

FishFace is beside Raph now, leering above him, taunting him, and I am desperate to help my brother, but Rahzar won't leave me alone. He has not yet succeeded in causing me physical harm because, though I cannot use my swords, I have not lost my combat skills. But he is keeping me engaged in fighting so that I can't rush to Raph's side. I growl in frustration as he blocks my escape again, chuckling in amusement. He clearly enjoys toying with me in this way.

From a few feet away I hear FishFace taunt, "So, the tables have turned, Raphael! How does it feel to have _your_ legs cut from under you?"

I am seething with anger at those words and punch Bradford hard in the jaw, hoping to earn a few seconds to turn my attention to the fish mutant attacking Raph. As I turn, I see Raph valiantly swinging punches at Xever, but from his position on the floor, he cannot reach higher than the fish's robot legs, and landing his punches there is clearly injuring himself more than his enemy. Xever is laughing at Raph's poor attempt at defending himself, and I lunge toward him in rage.

Once again my attack is cut short, this time by Rahzar's claws digging into my shell and flinging me backward. I hit the floor hard, but my carapace takes most of the blow and I quickly turn the landing into a roll and am on my feet again in an instant. Glaring at Rahzar, I rush at him, determined to take him down for good so I can turn my full attention on the slimy fish that deserves the biggest beat down I can give him.

While I am distracted by exchanging a series of blows with the wolf mutant, I suddenly hear a roar of pain from Raph and I instantly whirl around to see him clutching his left shoulder, red blood seeping from under his fingers. FishFace has clearly just given him a kick with his sharp metal foot and is gearing up to deliver another.

"Raph!" I scream, lunging forward. Blinded by rage, I am convinced that no force on Earth will stop me from reaching my brother. However, a double mutated wolf man is definitely a force to be reckoned with, and right before I reach punching distance of FishFace, I am tackled from behind and hit the floor with the full weight of Rahzar on top of me, just as Xever lands a second kick, this time on the back of Raph's shell, where the damage is less severe, but still produces a grunt of pain from my brother.

"Get off me!" I shout at Rahzar, wriggling and struggling to escape. Though I make progress in freeing myself, all it takes is one strong hand of Rahzar's gripping my shell to pull me back away from Raph. I scream in pain and frustration as his claws gouge down my carapace again, shoving me once more to the floor where I am forced to watch, helpless, as FishFace aims another kick at my disabled brother, striking him in the plastron this time.

Raph tries again to swipe at FishFace's legs, but he is completely at the mercy of the slimy mutant, who cackles gleefully and dances easily out of Raph's reach.

I can see the humiliation burning red in Raph's cheeks and I know that his inability to fight back is hurting him more deeply than the pain from Xever's kicks. I continue to struggle to free myself as I lay flat on my stomach with Rahzar on top of me. He has one giant foot placed firmly on my carapace and is leaning all his weight on it, and from my face down position I can't hope to reach him with either my arms or legs. He seems content to stay there, not harming me further, and I realize his intention all along was to pin me down and force me to watch FishFace beat up my brother.

Just as the taunting fish mutant prepares to take another blow, however, a familiar and welcome voice echoes through the lab.

"Get away from my sons!"

A wave of relief washes over me and despite being crushed beneath a giant mutant wolf, I can't help smiling. These guys are going to regret having captured us tonight.

All of our enemies pause and turn to look through the glass for the source of the voice. From my position on the floor, I can also see out into the lab, and I notice Tiger Claw tensing in preparation and searching wildly around, but Splinter is nowhere to be seen.

I glance at Raph, but he doesn't notice. He, like everyone else, is staring out through the glass.

Suddenly Tiger Claw lets out a roar and I turn my attention immediately back to him. He is clutching his arm, which appears to be hanging limply at his side, but still there is no sign of Splinter. His movements were so fast, even I didn't see him attack.

I hear a low grumble in Rahzar's throat and I let out a gasp as he presses his foot more heavily on my shell, crushing my lungs beneath his weight, but other than that, no one in the cage moves.

"Where are you?" cries Tiger Claw menacingly. "Come out and fight me, you coward!"

This time I catch a swift movement behind Tiger Claw before he is suddenly down on one knee, roaring at the pain in his leg.

"I said, get away from my sons!" Sensei's voice rings out through the lab once more, echoing around so that it is impossible to tell where it is coming from. My father is seriously cool.

When Tiger Claw roars again at the pain of yet another pressure point being applied, the mutants in the cage with us finally come to life and rush for the door, intent on taking Splinter down. As soon as I feel the pressure lift from my carapace, I am on my feet and running toward my injured brother.

"Raph! Raph, are you okay?" I kneel down beside him and try to look at his shoulder, but he won't remove his bloodied hand from the wound.

"Leo, the door!" he cries, nodding his head in the direction of the exit.

I whip around in time to see Stockman closing the door behind him. I move quickly, but I don't make it to the door before we are again locked inside. I give the hideous fly a death glare through the glass, but he just buzzes tauntingly at me and flies away, high enough to stay out of reach of the battle raging below.

For there is a full on battle happening now. Master Splinter finally came out into the open and is taking on all three of the other mutants at once. I would be concerned about the odds, but Tiger Claw still seems unable to use his arm properly and Sensei is doing a fine job of holding his own against the others. It is a marvel and a joy to watch him. His movements are so swift, so precise, so effective. He truly is the greatest ninja master in a century.

A grunt from behind me suddenly brings my thoughts away from admiring my father's skills. Raphael is shifting, trying not put too much weight on his injured arm, but it seems difficult when his legs won't cooperate. I'm back at his side in an instant.

"Hey, Raph, take it easy."

"They locked us in again!"

"It's okay, Sensei will let us out after he finishes with those guys." I incline my head in the direction of the battle outside the cage. Then I turn back to the more urgent matter at hand. "Let me see your shoulder."

Raph grunts, but reluctantly takes his hand away from the wound. "It's not too bad. It'll be fine when it stops bleeding."

As I look at it I see he's right. Though the gash is bleeding quite a lot, it doesn't seem to be as deep as I had feared. He's going to have a nasty bruise there, though.

Suddenly I hear the sound of the lock clicking behind me. I wheel around again to see someone opening the door. Mikey! I didn't know he came with Master Splinter. I take one quick glance back at the battle and see that our enemies, completely focused on Sensei, haven't even noticed Mikey is here. I guess he _can_ be stealthy when he wants to.

Mikey opens the door and motions for us to follow him out. I open my mouth to call out to him, but he puts a finger hastily to his lips and nods in the direction of our enemies. Of course, it's better if we don't attract their attention. Mikey waves at us again, gesturing for us to come out of the cage, but I shake my head and motion toward Raph.

Mikey glances at Raph and immediately sprints over to us. He gives Raph a concerned look, then looks at me questioningly, making a couple signs as he does so. I don't know what the signs mean - I really should make more of an effort to learn the sign language he's inventing - but I can tell from his expression that he's asking what happened to Raph.

"His shoulder is hurt," I whisper, though I guess that much is obvious. "And he can't walk."

Mikey looks up at me in surprise, then with another, somewhat sadder, questioning expression, he wiggles his fingers in a rainy, twinkly motion. This time I know exactly what he means.

"Yeah," I say with a sad sigh. "It was the fairy dust."

At that, Mikey's face starts to crumple and as he looks down at Raph, his lip quivers a little and I'm afraid he's either going to break and down and cry or give Raph another unwanted hug. Thankfully Raph cuts him off gruffly before he can do either.

"Um, don't you think we should be getting outta here?"

Mikey quickly swallows and nods his head enthusiastically, focusing his attention back on the task at hand.

"Come on, Mikey," I instruct him. "Help me carry Raph. You grab his legs."

As Mikey moves instantly to obey, I move behind Raph, hook my elbows under his armpits, and heave him up, trying not to aggravate his shoulder. He is easily the heaviest of us, but Mikey and I are strong. With a little effort we hoist him into position for the simple, but rather undignified method of carrying him between us. Raph has his jaw set and his teeth clenched, bearing the humiliation of his helpless position.

I move quickly backward toward the door, which Mikey left open. In a few seconds we are through and moving toward the exit of Stockman's lab. I catch my father's eye as he takes note of our slow progress. He instantly lets out a shout, and unleashes a flurry of blows, drawing the attention of all the bad guys and leading them as far away from us as possible, to the other side of the lab.

As we pass right by the table where our gear was stashed, I pause and whisper to Mikey to grab them for us. Setting down his half of Raph, he quickly complies.

Raph is grateful to receive his sai, and tucks them quickly into his belt along with his phone. When Mikey makes to hand me my swords, however, I shake my head. I'm not ready to tell him about my hands yet, so I just use holding up Raph as my excuse to not take my weapons. Mikey throws a quizzical glance at my bound hands, but shrugs it off and quickly slides my katanas into the sheaths on my back for me.

All this only took a few seconds and in no time we are on the move again, heading for the exit. It was too much to hope for that we would make it all that way without detection. Despite Sensei's attempts at distraction, it isn't long before we are spotted by the battling mutants on the other side of the room.

"Hey!" cries Rahzar suddenly. "The turtles are escaping!"

Before I know it, Rahzar, FishFace, and Tiger Claw are between us and the exit, though I can't help noticing that they are all sporting limps and various other injuries, courtesy of Master Splinter.

Before I can begin to think up a plan, Mikey suddenly drops Raph's legs and pulls a smoke bomb out of his belt. I open my mouth to stop him, but too late. He's already thrown a taunting look at our enemies and smashed the eggshell onto the concrete floor. We are instantly engulfed in billowing purple smoke which, under normal circumstances, is the ideal concealment for a hasty getaway.

These are not, however, normal circumstances. I try to make the most of it by sprinting backwards as fast as I can while dragging Raph along with me. With his vision obscured by the smoke, Mikey is fumbling to pick up Raph's legs again to help me carry him.

Our enemies are coughing and cursing in the smoke, but by the time we finally get Raph back into position and start moving at any kind of reasonable pace, the smoke is already clearing. We are revealed to our enemies mere feet away from our original position. My face is burning with embarrassment.

"Ya numskull!" Raph shouts at Mikey. "Smoke bombs only work when you can move _fast_!"


	26. Chapter 26: Disgrace

_Chapter 26: Disgrace_

 _Mikey's POV_

Okay, so maybe the smoke bomb wasn't the best idea. But hey, it does usually work! This time, though, all the scary mutants are definitely noticing that we didn't escape in the smoke. Oh good! Sensei's distracting them, forcing their attention on him and his kick-butt moves. I know he can't keep them off forever, though, and we definitely need an escape plan that's better than dragging Raph all the way home. Lucky for us, I have one more trick up my sleeve. Or in my belt, or whatever.

As Sensei is fighting with Tiger Claw and FishFace, Rahzar breaks away from the battle and comes after us again. Now's my chance! I set Raph down again, reach into my belt and snatch up the portable Kraang portal I swiped from Donnie's desk. The shiny metal glints in the different colored lights from the lab.

Leo, who's still holding Raph, notices what I have. "Mikey! Is that a portal?"

I nod proudly, lifting it up, ready to toss it into the air.

"Yes, Mikey! Get us home!" cries Raph, totally on board with this idea.

Rahzar is getting pretty close now, and I make sure he sees what I'm doing. Yep, he's got an oh-no-you-don't look on his face. I quickly press the button and fling the portal up into the air between us and our enemies. The shiny device hovers for a moment before shooting a glowing pink triangle down to the floor.

"Mikey!" Raph sounds completely annoyed now. "Why did you throw it way over there?!"

The portal definitely opened way closer to the evil dudes than to us. Better go quick! I hurriedly pick up Raph's legs again as I start to move quickly toward the portal, but Rahzar has already gotten in front of it, blocking our path again. FishFace is lying on the ground way off to the side and it looks like he's unconscious so I guess Master Splinter already took him down. Tiger Claw, though, has also ditched his fight with Sensei, and is nearly at the portal.

I see Sensei is about to come help us, but suddenly a huge vat of mutagen comes out of nowhere and crashes down right in front of him, spilling all over the floor and splashing up the walls. Splinter got out of the way just in time, of course, because he's got the best reflexes in the world, but now he's cut off from us by a giant puddle of green ooze. I glance up to see Stockman buzzing around like he's all happy or something. I guess he was the one who pushed the mutagen in front of Sensei.

Rahzar and Tiger Claw are now both right in front of the portal. Even though they're pretty beat up from having to fight Master Splinter, they're still plenty scary-looking as they come toward us, growling, and showing us their pointy teeth.

"Wait, Mikey, where does that portal lead?" asks Leo suddenly with a panicky voice. "It doesn't lead to the _lair_ does it?"

I give him a sort of innocent questioning look with a little nod, and he goes into full on freak out mode.

" _What_?" shouts Raph. He's freaking out, too. "Mikey! You can't open a portal directly into the lair! You're leading our enemies right to it!"

I whip my head around and see the evil grins appearing on the freaky faces of Rahzar and Tiger Claw as they hear what Raph was shouting. The next instant they stop coming toward us and rush toward the portal instead.

"Stop them!" screams Leo.

I drop Raph again and run super quick to the portal. The freakazoids beat me to it, though, and with a couple über creepy sneers, they jump through it.

I hear Leo shouting, "NO!" behind me, but I pay no attention. Quick as a flash, I press the button on the portal, closing it up again.

"What are you _doing_?!" screams Raph from the floor. "You sent those two creeps into the _lair? Donnie's_ there _alone_!"

Leo is beside me now, looking panic stricken, but I calmly pick up the portal device from where it fell clattering to the floor and look up at my bros with a big grin on my face.

"My sons!" cries Sensei joining us, too. He somehow got over the mutagen. He probably did some super awesome leaps or flips or something. Wish I'd seen that. And he's looking none the worse for having battled three of the scariest mutants in New York.

Before he can say anything else, though, I turn back to Leo, smiling even wider.

Leo looks at me in a confused way for a second, but then he starts to catch on. "That portal didn't actually lead to the lair, did it?"

I shake my head, still grinning. A few yards away I can see Raph relaxing, though he still looks slightly confused.

"You just wanted everyone to _think_ it led to the lair," continues Leo, figuring out my plan as we make our way back to where Raph is sitting helplessly on the floor. I nod again as Sensei gently lifts Raph into his arms, whispering something to him that I don't hear. I'm surprised at how easily he carries him, like he's a little kid or something.

"So, where did you send them?" Raph grunts as he tries not to look completely embarrassed about being carried like a baby.

I grin a bit wider. I sent them to the furthest away place I could think of. I make an "X" sign with my fingers.

"X?" Leo asks, tilting his head at me. "Dimension X? You sent them to Dimension X?"

I nod happily.

Leo smiles proudly at me, and as we turn to leave the lab, Master Splinter gives me a nod of approval. "Well done, Michelangelo." I beam up at him, feeling all glowy inside from my father's praise. "Now let us get your brothers home."

I couldn't agree more!

I hear Stockman buzzing around above our heads, but Sensei gives him one intense death glare, and he flies off the like coward he is.

In just a few minutes we are safely in the sewers, moving quickly toward home. Master Splinter is carrying Raph bridal style, but is still running pretty fast. Sometimes I forget how strong Sensei is. I mean, I know from experience that Raph is no light weight, but Splinter's carrying him like it's nothing, while Leo and I almost have a hard time keeping up with him. Once we are certain no one is following, we slow down to a more comfortable pace.

Nobody's talking, and I notice that Leo and Raph aren't looking at anybody, almost like they're embarrassed or something. I guess they're really upset about Raph not being able to walk, which makes sense, cause that totally sucks and I'll be super upset about it, too, when I stop to think about it long enough. But there's something else that's bothering them, I think.

"Sensei," Leo breaks the silence as we enter a particularly dark part of the sewer, so I can't see his face anymore, but I can hear how his voice sounds all small and timid. It's the voice he uses when he knows he's in trouble. Of course! That's what's bothering them. They totally disobeyed Master Splinter when they went out last night and they are going to be in so much trouble now!

Before Leo can apologize, or give an explanation, or whatever it was he was going to say, Sensei interrupts him.

"Leonardo, I am very disappointed in you." He's using his stern voice and I can feel Leo shrinking beside me. "When I told you to stay in the lair, did you not realize that it was for your own protection?"

"I did, Sensei, but -"

"But you thought that revenge was more important than your safety, or Raphael's? We knew that the enemy possessed a new and dangerous weapon, we had seen its devastating effects, and yet you deliberately put the two of you into harm's way. By seeking vengeance for the injuries inflicted on two of your brothers, you recklessly put your third brother into the very same danger, and caused him to endure an equally disabling injury!"

As we pass under a grate, the light from the city above shines on Leo for a moment and I can see that his head is hung in shame and he's barely lifting his feet as we walk. "I'm sorry, Sensei," he says, his voice a really tiny whisper.

I know it wasn't totally Leo's fault. I know that it was as much Raph's idea as Leo's, and I'm sure Sensei knows this, too, but Leo won't say that. He never tries to shift the blame onto someone else, and I'm pretty sure Splinter is picking on Leo because he's the leader, so he's supposed to shut down Raph's crazy ideas, not go along with them. Also, Raph's hurt, so Splinter's going to go easy on him.

Splinter glances sharply at Leo but doesn't offer any forgiveness or anything. After a moment he says, "There is no punishment I could give you that would be worse than the consequences you will have to bear from your disobedience tonight. Because of what you've done, Raphael's life is forever changed, and you will do everything in your power to ease that burden, do you understand?" Sensei's voice is still stern and angry, but I can tell that he's not mad. Not really. He's actually very sad. I can tell that he wishes he could just give them a few rounds of randori and ground them for a month and then let everything be back to normal. But it's not going to go back to normal. Not ever. And that's making him sad.

Leo is still looking at the wet ground, but he nods in response to Splinter and whispers, "Hai, Sensei."

This whole time Raph and I have just been watching Sensei and Leo, not daring to interrupt, but now I hear Raph shifting in Sensei's arms and he suddenly pipes up. "So, Leo, when were you planning on telling everyone about _your_ injury?"

Wait, what? Leo's hurt, too? My eyes dart over Leo, but he looks fine to me. Master Splinter actually stops walking and turns around, looking directly at Leo. It's pretty light in this particular spot, and I can see that his expression isn't angry anymore. It's soft and concerned.

"Leonardo, have you been hurt as well, my son?"

Leo still won't look Sensei in the eyes, but he nods again and lifts up his hands for us to see. They are both wrapped tightly into fists. I had noticed this before, back in the lab, but though I thought it was a bit weird, I didn't think it mattered enough to mention it. But now I think about it, why are they all wrapped up like that? Are they bandaged or something?

Splinter looks down at Leo's hands, but he can't touch them because his arms are all full of Raph at the moment, so instead he asks, "What is wrong, Leonardo?"

Leo just sighs and looks away again, so Raph answers for him. "He can't move his hands, Sensei. He got that sparkly dust stuff all over them and now they're useless."

I stare in shock at Leo, who quickly hides his hands behind his shell as if they're shameful. I feel something heavy in the pit of my stomach as I suddenly realize that all four of us have now been hit with Stockman's evil fairy dust. If Raph can't walk and Leo can't do. . . well, anything that he needs his hands for, what the heck are we gonna do?

I'm seriously panicking now, but before I totally lose it, Sensei's calm voice breaks through my thoughts.

"Michelangelo, please remain calm. Your brothers are going to need your help. Raphael, call Donatello. He is anxiously awaiting our return and deserves to be informed of the situation as soon as possible."

With that, he turns and begins walking down the tunnel again, not even commenting on Leo's messed up hands at all. Leo seems surprised at this as well, and we both glance at each other before following in silence.


	27. Chapter 27: Alone

_Chapter 27: Alone_

 _Donnie's POV_

Come on, come on, ring!

I tap my T-phone agitatedly against my palm as I pace my lab, back and forth, back and forth. I know this room so well I don't even have to think to avoid stepping in the algae pools, or running into my computer desk. Nine steps to the door, turn, nine steps to the desk. Back and forth, back and forth.

Why don't they call?

I don't know how much time has passed since Sensei and Mikey left – left me here alone – but I feel like I've been waiting at least two hours. Maybe more? They must've found Raph and Leo by now, right?

What could be happening? According to the GPS, Raph and Leo were at Foot Headquarters. Did they succeed in getting the Time Scepter? What if there were complications? Or what if. . . what if they were captured?

My heart starts to race at this possibility. And the Foot have that horrible fairy dust. . .

Calm down, Donnie! You don't know that anything has happened yet. And Sensei went after them. He's a more than capable ninja. They'll be fine.

I take a deep breath, but nope, my attempts to calm my rising panic aren't working. I begin to pace faster, clutching my T-phone in my sweaty palm. I wouldn't dare try to call them, even if I could be sure of hitting the right buttons. I know from experience that a badly timed ringtone can be disastrous to a stealth mission. Why haven't they called yet?

I can't stop the worst case scenarios flooding my brain with visions of my family bloodied, mutilated, dead. And I – left on my own. Completely alone. In the dark.

Without realizing it, I come to a complete standstill, a terrified shudder going down my spine. No. No! Banish these thoughts! This is Master Splinter we're talking about. He'll bring them all back home. Everyone will be safe.

But I can't suppress the swelling panic in my chest. Everyone is gone and I cannot quell the deep, deep fear that they might never come back. I gulp and shiver, feeling cold and exposed in the hollow void surrounding me.

 _Why don't they call?_

And then, miraculously, the empty silence is broken by the cheerful jangle of my phone as I simultaneously feel it buzzing in my hand.

I start in surprise, a complicated wave of relief and dread washing over me. In my haste to answer, my fingers fumble and I nearly drop the phone, but I catch it in time and quickly swipe the screen.

"Hello?" All of my anxiety is betrayed in that one panicky, desperate word, but I don't bother to hide it.

"Donnie!"

"Raph! You're alright!" The sound of my brother's voice is such a relief I can't help but smile.

"Well, sorta," comes Raph's less than happy voice. That tone brings me harshly back to Earth.

"What do you mean 'sorta'? Are you hurt? Is Leo there? What about Sensei and Mikey?" These words come out in such a rush I'm surprised Raph can even understand me.

"Whoa, slow down, genius. We're all here; we're on our way home."

Relief again. "But is everyone okay? Are you hurt?"

There's a pause on the other end of the line. I can hear muffled voices talking that I think are Sensei and Leo, but I can't tell what they're saying. Raph is shouting angrily at someone, presumably Leo, saying, "I don't wanna talk about it! You tell him!"

There's some static and scuffling noises, and I hear Leo say, "No, hold it closer, Mikey," then his voice comes more strongly through the line. "Uh, Donnie, what would you expect to happen if one of us touched that purple fairy dust? You know, just on our skin, not in our eyes or an open wound."

I am a bit taken aback by this question. While I have, of course, pondered this idea out of scientific curiosity about the unknown substance, I doubt Leo had any such inclination. He would not ask me this unless there was a real, practical reason to do so. Part of me wants to blurt out a demand that he tell me exactly what's happened, but I decide to answer his question first, hiding my own worry in a falsely calm voice.

"Well, I can't know for sure, not having been able to study the substance in question, but I would _expect_ that touching it would not have so strong an effect as getting it in the eyes or bloodstream. From what I can deduce, it seems to attack the nervous system, and whether it can do that through the skin is doubtful, beyond, perhaps, causing superficial numbness. But of course, these are guesses at best because -"

As usual, my explanation is cut off by Leo's desire to get directly to the point rather than listen to a prolonged commentary. "Great, Donnie, so if the effect isn't as strong, then you think it will wear off?"

I'm pretty sure that's not what I said, but, wait. . . "Will _what_ wear off, Leo? What happened?"

"Um. . ."

"Leo, did that stuff get on your skin?" I am dreading his answer, but at the same time frustrated at his delay. I can hear Raph's voice saying something imperceptible in the background.

"Yes, Donnie," comes Leo's answer at last, in a resigned voice. "It got all over Raph's legs and my hands."

I stop dead in my tracks again, though I hadn't even realized I had resumed pacing. "And what happened? What were the effects?"

My heart is pounding in my chest as I await his answer.

"Total numbness and, uh, complete lack of control."

"You can't move or feel your hands at all?" Of course I know that's exactly what he meant, but I feel the need to ask for clarification while my brain processes the shock.

"No, I can't. And the same for Raph. But you think it might wear off?"

"No, Leo, that's not what I said. I said I _expected_ the effects would be less devastating, but. . . but this. . ." I don't even know what to say. What is there to say?

Leo seems to feel the same way because he says, "Look, Donnie, we're almost home, so I'll see you in a minute, okay?"

"Okay. . ."

I can hear the phone being tossed to someone else before the line goes dead. I slowly lower my own phone from my ear. My thoughts seem to grind to a halt as if my brain is simply refusing to process any more bad news.

First me and Mikey, now Leo and Raph, too. . .

I just stand there in frozen shock for a few solid minutes before the sounds of footsteps approaching finally jerk my body back into action. Wake up, stupid, your brothers need you!

I rush into the living room in time to hear my family entering the lair.

"Donatello," Sensei addresses me first, before I've even had a chance to greet any of them. "Is the bed in your lab prepared?"

"Hai, Sensei," I respond quickly.

"Good. Raphael's shoulder is wounded, as is his head. He requires some bandages," explains Splinter. I can hear Raph's breathing coming from that direction as well, so I guess Splinter is carrying him.

Leo nudges my shoulder with his, by way of greeting, and Mikey pats me on the back before I turn to follow Splinter into the lab. I may not be able to help much, but if a brother is wounded, I can't imagine being anywhere else.

I can hear the sounds of Sensei placing Raph on the infirmary bed, and I hastily move to my brother's side.

"Hey, Raph, what happened? How bad is it?" I ask, concerned. I lay my hand on his arm, just to feel him there. He's sitting up on the bed, tense with concealed emotion.

"Just a couple bruises, but my shoulder's bleeding a little. I got a kick from FishFace," he says shortly, clearly not wanting to elaborate. I was hoping for a bit of an explanation about the effects of the powder on his legs, but before I can ask anything further, Sensei is there with the first-aid supplies.

"Donatello, hold this please."

A bowl of warm water is put into my hands, from which Splinter wrings a cloth and begins cleaning Raph's injuries. I feel a stab of humiliation at this. Holding the bowl of water is a completely pointless job. He could just as easily place it on the table beside the bed. It's the job I usually give Mikey when he's desperate to help but isn't capable of doing anything that will actually be of assistance.

Swallowing the lump of pride in my throat, I stand there obediently until Sensei is finished with the water and reaches for the bandages instead. Feeling the table beside me, I set the bowl down on it, and turn my attention back to Raph, who has been seething silently since Sensei began dressing his wounds.

"So, um, what about your other. . . injury?" I ask tentatively.

"You heard Leo," he growls out. "I can't feel my legs."

"How did that happen?"

"How do you _think_ it happened?" he shouts at me. "That stupid sparkly stuff got all over 'em!"

"Raphael," Master Splinter admonishes quietly.

"May I?" I ask, placing a hand gently on his still leg to indicate I want to examine the damage.

"Yeah, whatever." His tone is harsh and dismissive.

While Master Splinter continues to bandage his shoulder, I feel Raph's legs for any outward sign of injury. When I find nothing out of the ordinary, I pinch him, hard, just above his right knee. There is absolutely no response whatsoever, not even a twitch from the muscles under my fingers.

"Did you feel that, Raph?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"Nope." His voice is still a growl, as though he's barely containing his anger.

"What about that?" I ask, pinching the other leg.

"Look, why don't I just save you some time and tell you that I can't feel anything at all below my shell, alright?" He's almost shouting again.

I raise my hands defensively and take a step back from my volatile brother. "I'm sorry, Raph, I was just -"

"Tell me straight, Donnie. Are you gonna be able to fix this or not?"

I can feel his fierce glare piercing me, and another lump rises in my throat. "I – I wish I could, Raph, but, even if I had some of the substance -"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it!" Raph cuts me off. "The point is, I'm stuck like this! So why are you still wasting your time here?"

"Raph! I – I just wanted to help. I -"

"Yeah, well, you've made it pretty clear you _can't_ help, Donnie! So why don't you just leave me alone?"

I gasp as this hurtful statement hits home.

"Raphael!" Splinter's tone is much harsher this time, but Raph ignores him. I've already taken a few backward steps toward the door when Raph screams at me again.

"Go on! Get out of here! I don't want to see you, or anyone! Get OUT!"

I vaguely hear Master Splinter reprimanding Raph, but I'm already out the door and closing it quickly behind me. I lean against the cold steel for a moment, my heart pounding against my plastron, and a huge well of hurt swelling in my chest.

I want to be mad at Raph for shouting at me like that, and for kicking me out of my own lab, but he's right – I can't help him. I can't help anyone. I'm completely useless! My brothers never needed me more than they need me now and I can't do a single thing!

I take a huge, shuddering breath, trying to gain control.

Hearing noises coming from the kitchen, I turn away from the shouting match still going on inside my lab, and walk shakily toward the kitchen in search of my other brothers, my heart still beating ferociously with the pain of my inadequacy.


	28. Chapter 28: Shock

**AN: Hello, my lovely readers! Guess what! It's summer now, so my beta is done with school and has more free time. Which means we can edit the chapters faster and I can post more frequently! Yay! So have some Mikey cheer to brighten your Wednesday! :D And thanks a million for the over 200 reviews I've received for this story. I treasure each and every one. Love you guys!**

.o0o.

 _Chapter 28: Shock_

 _Mikey's POV_

As soon as we got back to the lair, Sensei wasted no time in taking Raph away to bind up his shoulder, leaving me and Leo standing alone just inside the turnstiles. Now that we're home, and no longer in danger, I have nothing else to think about but my hurt big brothers.

And it's just too much. Too much bad has happened. Nothing's ever going to be the same.

I can feel a sob building up in my chest, and the tears beginning to prick my eyes as I feel like just going to pieces and melting into a big puddle of sad.

But before I let the sobs escape, I look over at Leo, who is staring after Sensei and Donnie who just disappeared into the lab with Raph. He's got this pathetically glum look on his face, like he's been forgotten. With a huge effort, I swallow my tears and take a deep breath. If I start weeping now, Leo will feel like he needs to be the big brother and comfort me, which would be nice, but then who would comfort _him_? I can cry later. This calls for some Mikey intervention.

I grab my big brother's arm and start dragging him toward the kitchen. He gives a small sound of surprise, but doesn't protest. He's been out all night and now it's sometime in the early morning. I know he's hungry, so I don't even bother asking him. Time for breakfast, my favorite meal of the day!

I plop Leo down at the table and head for the fridge. Ooo! Strawberries! I haven't even decided what breakfast is going to be yet, but it just got awesomer.

Leo still hasn't said anything, and as I pull the strawberries out of the fridge and put them on the counter, I glance over at him. He's just sitting there, sort of stiff, with a blank, rather lost look on his face. My heart goes out to him, and I wonder if he's in shock.

Taking a quick break from the breakfast preparations, I dart over and wrap an arm around his shoulders and squeeze him tight. I'd give him a full-on, proper hug, but the table is in the way. My one-armed hug seems to do the trick, though, because he sorta starts like he's surprised and then blinks a couple times like he had been asleep and he's just waking up, and then he finally looks up at me, whispers, "Thanks, Mikey," and leans into the hug.

No problem, bro.

Now that Leo seems more like he's in the same room as me, I head back over to the counter to finish breakfast.

There are lots of awesome ways to use strawberries. French toast, waffles, pizza. . . I glance back over at Leo, who is now leaning his arms on the table, and I take in the sight of his hands all wrapped up. There's no way he's going to be able to use a fork, or even a spoon. My lips tug down in a frown as I think about this. Of course, I could help him eat, and I totally wouldn't mind, but he's been through a lot tonight, and I'm pretty sure that having someone else feed him would _not_ help cheer him up right now. He doesn't need anything that makes him feel useless.

Still frowning, I look around the kitchen, waiting for inspiration to pop out at me. Hmmm, toast and strawberries is good. Nope, he'd still need his hands for that. Then I spot the blender. A smile works its way back onto my face where it belongs as I grab the bananas and head back to the fridge for some yogurt.

Hey, look! Leftover pizza! That's, like, the king of all foods. You can add it to _anything_! I reach for it, but - oh wait. Last time I tried putting pizza in the blender it was kind of a disaster. I doubt Leo fancies a P-shake for breakfast. Oh well, yogurt's good, too.

A minute later I'm sticking a straw in a huge glass of strawberry banana smoothie and sliding it across the table to Leo. Ta da! Hands-free breakfast, a la Mikey!

Leo finally looks up as the smoothie stops right in front of him. And. . . wait for it. . . Yes! A smile appears on Leo's face; a small one, but given the circumstances, I'll take what I can get. "Thanks, Mikey," he says again, and it sounds so much better when he says it with a smile.

I smile back and nod at him to say 'you're welcome' before throwing some more fruit in the blender.

"Mikey," Leo begins, and I turn to look at him, but before he can say anything else, we suddenly hear shouting coming from Donnie's lab.

The door on the lab is big, heavy, and made of steel, so it stops us from hearing the words that are being shouted, but it's definitely Raph's voice. No surprise there. Leo and I are both frozen, listening to our angry brother. Suddenly I hear the lab door open, and for one second we can hear Raph's words clearly, shouting "Get OUT!" before the door slams, making his yells all muffled again.

Leo and I stare at each other for a moment, with wide eyes, wondering what exactly happened. Leo makes a move to get up and go see, but at that moment, Donnie appears in the doorway, looking extremely upset.

"Donnie, what happened?" Leo asks, concerned, as Donnie feels his way to the table and takes a seat.

"Raph kicked me out," he says in a small voice before plopping his arms on the table and burying his face in them.

"He kicked you out of your lab?" Leo asks this like he can't believe it. I can hardly believe it myself even though we just heard it happen. Donnie's lab is, well, you know, _Donnie's_. It's like more of his own room than his bedroom is. You can't kick Donnie out of Donnie's lab. Then again, this is Raph we're talking about.

To answer Leo's question, Donnie just nods miserably into his arms. Immediately standing up, Leo says, "I'll go talk to him."

Donnie's head instantly pops up. "No! Leo, don't go in there. Trust me, it'll only make things worse. Master Splinter's taking care of it."

Leo sits slowly back down, but he looks toward the doorway like he still half thinks he should go talk to Raph. I'm with Donnie, though. When Raph's mad, the last thing he wants is a lecture from Leo.

The second smoothie is done, so I stick a straw in it and push it into Donnie's hands.

"What's this, Mikey?"

I would give him my sign for "breakfast" - food related words were some of the first ones I invented – but his hands are full of the cup, so I let Leo answer for me this time.

"Mikey made us smoothies for breakfast. Try it, it's really good."

Two of my brothers are now slurping their smoothies and looking less upset than when they came into the kitchen. Another mealtime success from Michelangelo!

As I start cutting the green tops off more strawberries, Donnie finally asks the question I've been dying to ask all night.

"So, Leo, what happened last night?"

Leo slumps a little in his chair and I feel bad for him. He really hates talking about missions that went wrong, and this one went really, _really_ wrong.

"As you know, Raph and I snuck out," Leo says in a calm voice. Calmer than he feels, I can tell. "We wanted to get some of that powder for you to study, Donnie, and we also wanted -" He pauses and sighs. "Revenge."

Yeah, we know that's why you left, Leo. You guys are totally predictable.

"Anyway, we ran into Tiger Claw and Rahzar on a rooftop and things might have gone well except they used the Time Scepter. All of a sudden there was a portal in the air and _another_ Tiger Claw and Rahzar came through. Four of them was just too much. Raph managed to get the bag of fairy dust, but he got knocked out and it spilled all over him. I panicked and tried to brush it off of him, but it stuck to my hands and -"

"Wait!" interrupts Donnie. "You touched that stuff _on purpose_?"

"I wasn't thinking, okay?" snaps Leo. "I just wanted to get it off of Raph!"

Donnie nods in understanding and I totally get it, too. I probably would've done the same thing.

"Anyway, I couldn't fight properly after that and I got us captured. So we didn't get the powder, and apparently there isn't any of it left. We also failed to get the Time Scepter. It was a complete disaster. Thankfully, though, Sensei and Mikey showed up to rescue us, and Mikey pulled an awesome stunt."

"Really, what was that?" asks Donnie, interested.

I can't help beaming with pride as Leo retells my brilliant idea.

"He opened a Kraang portal and made it look like we were going to escape through it, so the bad guys thought that it opened onto the lair. Rahzar and Tiger Claw ran through it and Mikey closed it up behind them. But it hadn't opened onto the lair at all. It sent them to Dimension X!"

"Wow, that's fantastic, Mikey!" Donnie seems really pleased. "It will likely take them ages to find their way back, if they ever do. The Kraang aren't in New York anymore, so there aren't likely to be any more portals leading them back. That was a brilliant idea." I don't hear praise like that very often, and I bask in it, grinning.

The atmosphere in the room is definitely getting lighter. I'm pretty sure the smoothies are helping. I pour another one into a glass. Now to see if it will work on my angriest brother.

As if on cue, Raph's loud voice suddenly echoes through the lair again. Both Donnie and Leo stop drinking to listen. Again, the steel door is blocking most of the words, but Raph sounds really mad. I can tell by Leo and Donnie's faces that they are both as shocked as I am that he would scream like that at _Splinter_. I don't think any of us would have dared.

Once again the lab door squeals open and Raph's voice is suddenly clear and much closer sounding. They must have come out of the lab.

" _NO!_ I don't want any fucking _tea!_ Just take me to my room and leave me _alone_!"

Leo and I stare at each other in complete shock. Raph didn't just scream at Sensei, he _swore_ at him! Oh, if things weren't such a total mess right now, he would be in _so_ much trouble! I can't even imagine how many back flips he'd have to do. Maybe he'd be grounded for life.

I wonder if Sensei will still punish Raph after all that stuff he said about the consequences being the worst punishment, or whatever. It doesn't sound like it. I can't even hear Sensei scolding him. Just his almost silent footsteps. He must be carrying Raph to his room, like he requested. Sure enough, a few seconds later I can hear Raph's door close.

All three of us are still sort of frozen when Splinter enters the kitchen a few minutes later, looking completely frazzled. I instantly move back into action, and before he can say or do anything, I've got the kettle out and am already filling it with water. As Sensei reaches for it, I shake my head and wave him toward the table with an _I got this_ look on my face. With a little sigh, he gives in and sits down at the table. He looks really, really tired.

No one says anything for a few minutes as I wait for the kettle to sing and the blender to finish mixing up the last smoothie. Leo and Donnie are quietly finishing theirs and Master Splinter has that same lost look that Leo had when he first came into the kitchen.

Now there's an uncomfortable silence. I hate silence. It feels all closed up and awkward, like everyone's thinking things but no one's sharing what they're thinking. I usually fill up silences with lots of talking, so no one ever has to wonder what _I'm_ thinking. Now that I can't do that, the silence seems to stretch on way too long.

At last a whistle from the kettle gives me something to do. I hand Sensei a cup of hot tea and sit down at the table with my own smoothie. Mmmm, strawberries! So sweet and delicious! As Splinter breathes in the steam from his cup, he seems to wake up a bit.

"Leonardo," he says gently. "Let me see your hands."

A weird expression crosses Leo's face. He looks like part of him is relieved that Splinter hasn't forgotten about him, but another part doesn't really want to show him his injury. He never likes people making a fuss over him because, I don't know, he's the leader and he thinks that means he's always supposed to be in control of everything, I guess, and have everything together and not be hurt, or weak, or scared, or anything. I think it's kind of silly of him, but that's how he is. Maybe he got those ideas from Space Heroes. Which is stupid. Leo's a way better leader than Captain Ryan. Maybe I should tell him that sometime. . .

Well, even if he really didn't want Splinter to see his hands, Leo wouldn't disobey a direct order like that. So he slowly moves his hands across the table toward Sensei.

Splinter very gently takes Leo's bound up hands in his own and begins unwrapping the bandages. Suddenly I notice that Donnie is beside them, standing just a little behind Leo. He's got his "Doctor Don" look on his face, and I can tell he really wants to examine Leo and figure out what's wrong, but he's holding back, like he's afraid to try and help or something.

I take another slurp of my delicious smoothie as I watch Splinter take all the wrappings off. He starts gently feeling Leo's fingers, bending and unbending them, and rubbing them like he's massaging the muscles. Leo looks kinda embarrassed, but doesn't try to take his hands away.

As he works, Sensei asks Leo questions like, "Can you feel this?" or "Does this hurt?" or "Can you move this finger?" Always Leo's answer is "No."

At last, Splinter seems to admit that there's nothing else to be done, and he begins wrapping Leo's hands back up. Leo just watches with a tight look on his face.

"Raphael told me how you happened to get the powder all over your hands," Sensei says gently.

Leo just looks away, his cheeks flushing. "It was a stupid thing to do," he says in a voice that shows he's angry with himself.

There is a little pause of silence, and I look up at Sensei's face. He's watching Leo with a look I've never seen on his face before. His eyes are all shiny, like he's trying not to cry. Suddenly he stands up and in the next second he's wrapping his arms around a surprised Leo and hugging him tight.

"My son," Sensei says quietly into the top of Leo's head. "You were trying to save your brother. Your intentions were noble, and for that, I commend you."

Leo screws up his eyes and hides his blushing face in Splinter's robe. Donnie quietly takes his seat.

I smile to myself as I watch them, because this is exactly what Leo needed. Giving one last, extra loud slurp in the bottom of my glass, I finish my smoothie and start gathering up the dirty cups on the table. As I dump them all in the sink, I notice the fourth smoothie still sitting on the counter. The one meant for Raph. I know he was super angry and shouty before, and Donnie did tell Leo not to bother him, but that just means he needs an extra dose of cheering up, right? I hesitate for a moment, then snatch the cup off the counter and push past the curtain in the doorway, out of the kitchen.

.o0o.

 _Raph's POV:_

I'm finally alone. But with no one to shout out loud to, my mind is now screaming on the inside. I clutch my head with both hands, my muscles tense and straining. I let out a strangled sound as my heart pounds heavily. Flashes of red and black panic obscure my vision. Nothing could possibly be worse than this. Nothing!

After several breaths, the tidal waves of emotion start to calm down a little. I fall back onto my pillow, feeling numb. Unable to think. I don't _want_ to think.

My heart continues to pound in my chest, and fear and adrenaline are still coursing through me.

My bed is too comfortable. I don't want to be comfortable. I want to get up and run out of the lair and beat someone up. Punch in some faces that _really_ deserve it right now. Instead I'm stuck here in bed. I _hate_ being in bed!

I sit up again and, letting out a frustrated roar, I punch the concrete wall beside me. That wasn't nearly as hard as I could hit it if I was _standing up_. I punch it again and break the skin on my knuckles. It stings a bit. Good. Pain is good. At least it means everything in my hand is working. Not like -

I glance down at my legs, just lying there useless like they've completely betrayed me. What am I supposed to do _now_?

I growl loudly and slam both fists down on my thighs as hard as I can. I've never wanted to feel pain so badly in my life. But it doesn't hurt. At all. I have a fleeting desire to take my sai and plunge them into my own legs – anything to make me _feel._

Of course I know this would be stupid, but I can't help glancing over at my weapons lying innocently on my drum set. Out of reach. Maybe Sensei knew what he was doing when he put them over there. Still, it makes me even more angry to see them lying there and know that I can't even get up to get them myself.

"Aaarrrrrgh!" I grab the only thing I _can_ reach – my pillow – and throw it as hard as I can at the offending weapons. It hits one of my cymbals, which falls down with an enormous crash as my sai also fall to the floor, spinning even further out of reach.

Unable to release my anger by throwing anything else, I just cross my arms in a huff. Everything's too damn far away! This bed is too damn comfortable! That light is too damn bright! I can't even get up to turn the light off. I can't do _anything!_

I flop back down on my bed and suddenly regret throwing my pillow across the room. Just one more thing I _can't reach_. I throw my arm across my eyes to block out the bright light. I've never been this miserable in my life.

Suddenly there's a knock on my door. Seriously? I thought I made it clear I didn't want to see anybody. If that's Leo coming in to give me a lecture, or worse, _sympathy_ , I swear I'll strangle him.

Another knock.

"Go away!" I yell.

Nobody answers, but I don't hear the sound of footsteps going away, either. Then I see the door handle turn. Ah, shell.

"I said, go away!" I shout again, sitting up to see Mikey's face peeking in the door.

Instead of listening, though, he gives me an annoyingly hopeful smile and steps inside. He's holding some sort of drink in his hand, and he offers it to me. I glare at it.

"Do you seriously think a _drink_ is going to make me feel better? Unless it's loaded with something a hell of a lot stronger than _tea_ , I don't want it!"

His smile falters a bit when I reject his offering, but he plasters it back on his face and puts the cup down on the bedside table. Wow, Mikey, what part of _I don't want it_ don't you understand?

As soon as his hands are free, he starts moving his fingers around, making all those weird signs he's been inventing.

"Forget it, Mikey," I interrupt him with a growl. "I can't understand your stupid sign language. Quit waving your hands around and leave me the shell alone!"

His frown is back for a second, then he perks up again and takes out his T-phone. Can he not take a hint? I just want to be _alone_!

Suddenly my own phone buzzes in my belt and I realize he's just texted me. I am _so_ not in the mood for one of his weird one-sided conversations! I pull my phone out and without looking at it, I throw it pointedly across the room, where it lands harmlessly on my pillow.

Mikey's eyes follow the motion of the phone, then he looks at me with real hurt on his face. I feel a twinge of guilt at being so mean to my little brother, but I am way too frustrated to care right now.

"Get out, Mikey! Leave me alone!" I shout at him. He takes a slow step backward. "Go! And take your damn drink with you!"

He glances at the cup, shakes his head miserably, and heads for the door at last, leaving the drink on the table. Angrily, I snatch it up and throw it at him just as he ducks out the door.

"I said take it with you!" I yell. The cup smashes into the door that Mikey closed just in time and a great splatter of thick, fruity smoothie splashes all over it. Filled with a mixture of anger and guilt at my own behavior, I flop back onto my bed. Ah shell, I should've told Mikey to turn off the light.


	29. Chapter 29: Struggle

_Chapter 29: Struggle_

 _Leo's POV_

I groan as I shift into wakefulness. Sitting slowly up in my bed, I crack my neck to get rid of the kinks.

We all felt exhausted from the night's events and decided to take a nap after breakfast. It wasn't until I was about to crawl into bed that it occurred to me that I was unable to remove my belt and scabbards. I stood there like an idiot for a few minutes, debating whether to go ask Mikey or Donnie for help, but they were probably already in bed, and asking for help has never been one of my strong points.

In the end I decided to try and get as comfortable as possible without removing the katanas from my back, which meant lying flat on my plastron, which is not the position I usually sleep in. Hence the stiffness as I'm waking up a few hours later.

Stretching a few more times, I leave my room in search of my brothers. I need to see how they're holding up after everything that's happened.

I pause as I pass the door to Raph's room, closed as usual. Of all of us, Raph seems to be taking his new, um, _problem_ the hardest. Or at least he's the most explosive in expressing his feelings. He must be going through hell right now and he probably needs a brother to talk to. I stare for a few moments at the stop sign on his door and wonder if he will even let me in. Just as I lift my fist to knock, though, I hear a loud snore coming from behind the door. He's asleep. I guess our heart to heart will have to wait.

Feeling relieved in spite of myself, I continue into the main room of the lair, searching for Mikey and Donnie. Finding the pit unoccupied, I poke my head through the open door into Donnie's lab. I spot my two brothers, standing near the heaped up pile of spare parts and other "treasures" Donnie has accumulated from all his trips to the dump. They look like they've been sorting through a few things, or else looking for something in the mess, for several items are strewn across the floor. They are currently having a rather animated, but almost silent conversation, consisting mostly of their improvised sign language. As neither of them have yet noticed me, I watch them for a moment, fascinated.

As Mikey "speaks", Donnie reads his signs with one hand, keeping the other carefully placed on Mikey's face to detect the over exaggerated expressions Mikey is using to add emotional context to whatever he's saying. I have to say, I'm pretty impressed.

Donnie suddenly chuckles. "But what about. . . ?" he begins, then finishes his question with a few signs of his own. Mikey watches critically, then shaking his head, he grabs Donnie's hands again so he can sign back to him.

Without realizing it, I have been slowly moving closer to my brothers, completely caught up in watching their fascinating communication. All of a sudden Donnie tilts his head away from Mikey and smiles sort of in my direction, saying, "Hey, Leo!"

Mikey instantly turns around and, grinning, gives me a wave of greeting.

"Hey guys, what are you up to?" I scan the scattered junk pile for clues.

Instead of answering, though, Mikey frowns and points accusingly at me, then signs something to me. I really haven't picked up his new language as fast as he and Donnie have, so it's hard for me to figure out what he's saying. I think it's something about. . . fighting?

"Um. . ." I give him a confused expression, and sighing in exasperation, he turns back to Donnie, grabs his hands and makes the same signs to him.

Donnie's expression suddenly turns accusatory, too, as he turns in my general direction. "You slept with your katanas strapped on?" he asks. "And I'm assuming the rest of your gear, too?"

Oh. I should have known they would notice. "Um. . . yeah," I say sheepishly.

It's a good thing Mikey has always had such an expressive face. He doesn't even need words right now, as his face is clearly saying, "Dude, what were you thinking?"

Donnie, however, though still a bit exasperated, looks more understanding. "Leo," he says calmly, "you know you can ask us for help, right?"

I feel the color flood my cheeks, but I nod at Donnie in consent. Then, remembering he can't see my nod, I add, "Yeah, I know."

Suddenly Mikey is beside me, patting my shoulder. Thanks for the condescension, little brother. Then he steps behind me and without waiting for permission, starts to unfasten the straps attaching my scabbards to my shoulder belt. In a few seconds he's lifted my beloved katanas from my shell and, holding them, heads for the door.

"Hey, where are you going?" I follow him out of the lab and into the dojo, where he hangs my swords in their place of honor at the top of the weapons rack. I stare at them for a moment until Mikey taps me on the shoulder to get my attention and then beckons me toward the door, making one of his signs as he does so. Wait, I know that one. That means "hungry". He's asking if I'm hungry.

"No thanks, Mikey. I think I'm just going to . . . train for a bit."

Mikey glances up at the weapons rack, then back to me with a thoughtful expression. Then he gives me a smile and thumbs up before heading out the door. He understands I want to be alone.

I think I did mean it when I told Mikey I wanted to train for a bit, at least vaguely. But no. I can't. Not with my katanas hanging uselessly on the wall, taunting me. I stand pointlessly in the center of the room for a minute, but the dojo no longer feels like a sanctuary from my problems. With emotions running high in my chest, I rush out of the room and head for the deserted kitchen instead. Maybe I _am_ a little hungry, or at least thirsty.

After glancing around to make sure no one's here, I approach the refrigerator, frowning at the handle I'm unable to pull. I pop open the fridge door, using the side of my arm as leverage. That wasn't so hard.

I stare at the meager contents with a sinking feeling. Opening the fridge was only the first problem.

Feeling more thirsty than hungry, I decide to reach for a bottle of soda. I figure if I place each of my wrists on either side of the bottle, and press them together, I should be able to lift the soda out of the fridge.

Yes! It works! Sort of... I can't get enough of a grip, and halfway out of the fridge, the bottle slips between my arms and crashes to the floor. Thankfully it's made of plastic, not glass, so it doesn't shatter, but merely rolls away under the cupboards.

I growl in frustration and slam the fridge shut. - _No._ It's fine. I can handle this. I take a deep breath, and reassuring myself once more that nobody is around, I kneel down and lean on my shoulder, reaching under the cupboard for the bottle. I frown as my hand hangs uselessly from my wrist. Lifeless.

I feel a pricking feeling in my eyes and I quickly let out the breath I didn't even realize I was holding. I blink the tears away. No. I can't allow myself to succumb to self-pity. I try to think of my brothers instead. Donnie - completely blind, and Raph - unable to go anywhere on his own. It's just my hands. It's not nearly as bad. At least I can move about the lair with confidence.

With one last determined effort, I nudge the soda bottle hard and it finally rolls out. I watch it bump against my knee pad and my eyes fall on the plastic cap. My heart sinks as I realize there's no way I'll be able to open it.

Suddenly fuming with the difficulty of everything, I leave the discarded soda on the floor and stomp out of the kitchen. I wasn't really that thirsty anyway.

I head toward the bathroom instead, thoughts of a hot shower filling my mind. I'm still covered in grime from the battle last night, and there's dried blood all over my left arm. Raph's blood, from the wound in his shoulder when I was dragging him around Stockman's lab. Maybe a shower will help wash away my frustration.

I stalk into the bathroom and take out some of my pent-up emotion on the bathroom door by kicking it forcefully closed behind me. As soon as I hear it slam, however, realization dawns on me and I stare, horrified, at the doorknob. The doorknob I can't turn or pull. I've just shut myself up in the bathroom.

Letting out an extra growl, I give the door another good kick, as if blaming it for my troubles.

No, this is stupid. Calm down.

I inhale deeply, trying to calm my nerves. Later. I'll think about opening the door later. Right now, shower. Focus on that.

Of course, I now hit the same problem I did before getting into bed earlier this morning. How do I remove my gear?

After several moments of vain tugging and pushing with my arms, my toes, even my teeth, all my frustrations are raging full force again, as the elbow pad I'm trying to remove has barely moved an inch.

"Gaaaahhh!" I can't take this! There's a knot in my stomach and a pressure in my chest, threatening to explode. I can't do _anything_!

I sink to the floor, breathing deeply, trying once more to find my center. Remain calm. I must remain calm.

I consider forgetting about removing my gear, and just taking a shower anyway, despite the fact that the water would likely ruin my leather belt and pads. Then I look up at the shower and I see it. Another knob. Our shower has a knob to turn on the water.

It's too much. I can't take it. I feel the lump rise in my throat and the tears prick my eyes again, and this time I can't stop them from trickling down my cheeks. I fling my arms across my knees and bury my face in them, hoping to forcefully stifle my sobs.

.o0o.

 _Donnie's POV_

Wow, Mikey can sometimes have some really good ideas. I don't know why I've seldom let him help me with projects before.

I push the door of my lab open and walk out, turning left toward the bedrooms, leaving Mikey searching for parts.

Okay, scratch that, I know exactly why I seldom let him help. He mostly has completely ridiculous notions that don't even make sense, and a tendency to break things. But once you sift through that, you can sometimes find some pretty creative ideas in that weird brain of his. And this is one of those times.

I trace my fingers along the rough concrete wall to keep track of where I am, feeling my way past Raph's room, then my own. I need some clean rags from the bathroom.

As my fingers encounter the smooth wood of the closed door, I feel for the knob, but stop suddenly as the muffled sound of someone sniffling comes through the door.

Leo?

I knock lightly. "Leo, are you okay in there?"

I hear a heavy intake of breath from the other side of the door, the sort of hitched breath of someone who is trying to stop crying quite suddenly. Then comes Leo's voice, full of forced calm, "I'm fine, Donnie."

He's not fine. "What are you doing in there?"

There's a pause. "Showering."

Yeah, he's not fooling me for a second. Does he think I can't hear that the water's not running? "Do you need any help?"

"No!" comes the quick answer. Too quick.

I open the door.

As I step into the room and shut the door gently behind me, I hope he'll make some sort of sound to let me know where he is, but he's being really quiet, so I say, "Hey, Leo."

"Hey, Donnie." Ahead of me, slightly to the right, and low down. He's probably sitting on the floor. And his voice has less of that false calm in it.

I reach out a hand in the direction of his voice, trying to locate him. Instead of waiting for me to grope around until I find him, he reaches up and puts his own hand in mine. I follow it to his shoulder. Yep. He's sitting on the floor. The tile feels cold and damp as I sit down in front of him.

"Leo, what do you need?" My matter-of-fact tone of voice warns him not to tell me "nothing". I'm going to help him whether he likes it or not.

In a resigned voice, he says, "A shower."

Yep. I can see why he's having trouble with that. Without asking his permission, I take one of his arms and start pulling off his elbow pad. I can sense the level of his embarrassment in the stiffness of his body, the shallowness of his breath, and his absolute refusal to say anything, but I ignore it and continue to strip off his gear. As I remove the bindings from around his hands, I notice how limp and dead they feel in my own and my heart goes out to my brother, but I don't comment on it.

Leo is still sitting stiff and silent on the floor as I take off the last of his wrappings and go in search of a washcloth and soap in the cupboard. Then feeling for the knob in the shower, I turn the water on and let it get hot. As the steam begins to raise the temperature in the room, I turn back to my brother. Still holding the soap and cloth in one hand, I gesture toward the shower with the other.

"Well, get in," I say.

I hear him stand up, but he's not making any move to enter the shower. I know what his problem is. He's wavering between the humiliation of having me help him wash, and the humiliation of never showering again. But after all that he's done for me lately, I'm not about to just walk out of here and leave him helpless.

"Come on, Leo." I find his shell and give it a nudge.

"Donnie, you don't have to -"

"I know. Just get in."

The sound of the water changes as it begins to strike his shell and skin. I lather up the cloth and start scrubbing one of his arms, which is still stiff with mortification.

"Sorry, Leo, but you're going to have to tell me where the dirt is."

He's still not saying anything, so I keep washing the same spot until he lets out a small, rather despairing sigh, and I feel him relax. Marginally.

"There's blood on my left arm."

I switch arms, working quickly so we can both get this awkward task over with. When at last I turn the water off and throw a towel over his shoulders, he drops a grateful whisper.

"Thanks, Donnie."

I crack a small smile. "No problem, bro."


	30. Chapter 30: Leadership

_Chapter 30: Leadership_

 _Splinter's POV_

As I wipe the rag across the floor, cleaning the splattered fruit beverage dripping from Raphael's door, I try to breathe deeply, to calm the turmoil in my soul. I must remain calm.

When I entered the room and found this mess and heard the tale of what transpired, Raphael was defiant, facing me with a fierce expression, as if daring me to punish him. But I could not. Despite throwing the cup into his door, and the hurt he caused Michelangelo, and the disrespectful tone with which he spoke to me, I could not bring myself to be angry with him.

So I chose to ignore my child's hostile attitude as he sat there, confined to his bed, and I turned my attention to the mundane task of wiping up the mess on his door, allowing me to clear my thoughts.

Now, as I drop the dirty rag in the bucket and stand up from the clean floor, I can feel his eyes boring into my back. I turn to find him sitting straight up in his bed, his arms folded across his chest, watching me with a scowl.

But he is not angry. I know my son well enough to recognize his defenses. There is a brokenness and a fear in his green eyes that no show of wrath can completely conceal. Not from me. My heart twists within me at the sight, and I approach my son, looking at him gently, and sit down on the bed in front of him.

"Is there anything you need, Raphael?"

"No."

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?"

"No!"

I do not entirely believe him, but I do not press the matter. Eventually necessity will overcome his pride.

"Raphael." I don't say any more, but my gentle tone seems to surprise him. I think he expected to be scolded for his rash behavior earlier. He lets his guard down somewhat, and his scowl softens, revealing more of the pain behind his eyes.

He says nothing, but looks up at me as if searching for answers. It is the silent, desperate plea of a child begging his father to set things right, and the sight of it causes me to reach for my son and pull him into an embrace.

Raphael instantly stiffens, attempting to resist the display of affection and maintain his reputation, but his brothers are not here and I will not betray him. At last he gives in, dropping his head onto my shoulder, and reluctantly accepts the comfort offered. He returns my embrace, and with his face safely hidden in my sleeve, he mumbles, "What am I gonna do, Sensei?"

I release him then, and pull out of the hug so I can look him in the eyes. "You will be strong, my son."

He looks expectantly at me, waiting for further explanation.

"Raphael, always you have striven to improve your strength. For years you have trained your body, discovering its limits and then pushing past them in order to grow stronger. In this you have done very well."

He scoffs. "Yeah, well, it doesn't do me any good now, does it?" A flash of anger rises back to the surface and distorts his features, but I am not finished.

"Now you will require a different kind of strength. An inner strength. This, too, requires training. You must learn control. You must learn to endure. You must learn to find new purpose. Find your limits, Raphael, push past them, and grow stronger. I have faith that you can succeed."

They are not the words of comfort he wishes to hear, but I cannot pretend to be able to fix this situation. His scowl deepens and he glares at me, hiding once more behind his defensive wall of anger.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean? Being _strong_ isn't going to help this time, Sensei!"

"I understand, Raphael, but you must -"

"No! No, you don't understand, and I don't want any more _advice_. I just… I just want to be alone." He turns abruptly away from me, folding his arms across his chest again.

I sigh. There is no reaching him in this mood. But I gave him the advice he needs, and hopefully, when his anger is spent, he will remember my words and take them to heart.

As I leave the room, closing the door softly behind me, my own heart aches within me. My sorrow for my sons' predicament is almost too much to bear. But no. Grief can wait. It must wait for those quiet moments of solitude in the dark of night. Right now I must take my own advice. I must be strong for the sake of my sons.

.o0o.

 _Leo's POV_

 _The next day._

I take a deep breath as I enter the dojo. Sensei has, of course, canceled morning training, but I can't imagine spending this part of the day anywhere else.

I did intend to train, or stretch, or something, but one glance at the wall where my precious katanas have been hung, and an unexpected wave of emotion hits me, and I end up just falling to my knees, my useless hands limp in my lap.

I sit there for what feels like ages, staring at my weapons, feeling a deep emptiness inside. I remember so well the day, several years ago, when Master Splinter presented me with those swords. I remember the way they glinted and gleamed in the sunlight filtering down through the grate in the dojo ceiling. I remember taking them in my hands and testing their weight for the first time. And I remember the swelling feeling of pride that my Sensei deemed me worthy of learning the skills of the twin blades.

As I stare at the red and yellow leather wrapped carefully, skillfully, around the hilts, I can still feel the grip of them in my hands, still hear the beautiful _shing_ sound they make as I pull them free from their scabbards, and the satisfying _whoosh_ and _clang_ as they strike enemy blades.

These feelings, these sounds, these weapons have become such a part of me, intrinsically wrapped in my identity. How can I go on without them? How can I lead my team without my beloved katanas? How can I bear to see them there, on the wall, unused, gathering dust for years to come?

My breath catches in my throat at these thoughts, and my head bows down, but my eyes remain dry.

I need help with so many basic things now. Eating, brushing my teeth, heck I even have trouble opening doors on my own. I can feel the familiar frustration building in my chest. What kind of leader has to constantly be dependent on the help of his other team members? How could they possibly respect someone who can't even open a stupid bottle of soda?

Thoughts of resignation flit through my mind. I'm no longer fit to be leader. I'll have to tell Splinter to take that title from me, but the thought fills me with deepest sorrow. If I'm not the katana wielding leader of our ninja clan, then who am I?

My head is still bowed and I do not look up when Sensei enters the room. His feet make absolutely no sound, and yet I am aware of the exact moment he appears. Silently, he sits down beside me. Still I do not look up, but he knows I am aware of his presence.

For a long time neither of us speak. At last I summon the courage to tell him my decision.

"Sensei," I begin, meeting his eyes at last. His gaze is calm and penetrating and I put effort into making my voice strong and confident. "With all due respect, I wish to resign as leader of this team."

Splinter regards me for a moment, his face betraying no emotion, before he says, "I cannot deny that I was expecting this request."

"Then you agree," I say, keeping the ringing confidence in my voice, refusing to betray how much those words cost me. "I am no longer worthy of the title." I bow my head again, in submission, after that final statement.

"No, I do not agree." These unexpected words cause my head to snap back up in surprise. "Nor do I accept your resignation."

"But Sensei -" I begin to protest, raising my bandaged hands as proof of my unworthiness, but he doesn't let me finish.

"I made you leader for a reason, Leonardo," he says firmly.

I can't help scoffing a little at this. "Yeah, you said it was just because I asked." Truth be told, that explanation has never sat well with me. If anything, it has made me feel more keenly the need to prove myself deserving of the title.

To my surprise, Splinter chuckles a little. "You were immature and cocky; overly confident in your own innate abilities. I had to bring you down to Earth a little." He smiles at me as I take in this new information. "I wanted you to discover the true reasons for yourself."

I ponder this for a moment. All this time I thought my position had been chosen randomly, simply because I wanted it. But apparently Splinter really did think I was the best man for the job. Why? What did I have that my brothers didn't have? I don't have answers right away, and Splinter does not give me any more information on the subject, but continues in a slightly different direction.

"Your brothers need you, Leonardo. You cannot abandon them now, when their need is greatest."

"I know, Sensei, but how can I lead them when I will be so _dependent_ on them? If I have to ask for help all the time, they'll think I'm weak and incapable."

"Asking your brothers for help will not display weakness. They already know of your shortcoming." He waves his hand toward my own hands, and I frown at them. "Asking them for help will display your trust in them. If they see that, in your vulnerability, you are willing to allow them to help lift you up, they will, in turn, feel confident to trust you with their own weakness. You see, Leonardo, not all admiration is gained by a show of strength. Much respect can be obtained by an admittance of your own fragility."

There is a long pause in which I consider the implications of his words. It makes sense, but putting it into practice is going to be difficult for me. When I don't answer right away, Splinter places a hand reassuringly on my shoulder.

"Your brothers need you," he says again. "You will remain leader."

I bow respectfully. "Hai, Sensei."

Splinter stands and quietly walks into his room, sliding the rice paper door closed behind him. Once more alone, I sigh and glance back up at the weapons rack. Sensei's words are ringing in my ears and I realize I am going to have to redefine my role as leader.

Suddenly a large growl from my stomach makes me wonder how many hours I've been sitting here, battling with my own despair. I immediately get up and as I exit the dojo I can hear noises coming from behind the curtain over the kitchen doorway. As I push it aside, I see Donnie sitting at the table with a bowl in front of him full of noodles which smell suspiciously of pizza. Mikey is standing at a big pot on the stove, filling a second bowl.

"Hey, Leo," Donnie greets me, smiling, but without taking his concentration off the chopsticks in his hand.

"Hi, Donnie. Hi, Mikey."

Mikey casts me his signature grin and nod of greeting, then, setting his bowl down on the table, he grabs the blender from the counter and holds it up to me, a questioning look on his face.

I suppress a sigh. It's time to swallow my pride or resign myself to a liquid diet for the rest of my life.

"Actually, Mikey," I say slowly, taking my seat at the table, "I would rather have some of those noodles. Do you think you could, I mean, would you mind, maybe, giving me a hand with it?"

My cheeks are burning by the end of that messed up sentence, but Mikey's smile broadens and he gives me a double thumbs up before scooping a large ladle full of noodles into a bowl and grabbing a set of chopsticks.

Donnie reaches across the table, and finding my arm, gives it a little squeeze. "You can do this, Leo," he says reassuringly.

I smile inwardly. Maybe Splinter was right after all.

.o0o.

 **AN: Okay, guys, you know the conversation that Leo has with Splinter in this chapter about why Splinter made him leader? You know how it's almost exactly the conversation they have in the show at the end of Season 4? Well, I swear I wrote this months before that episode aired! The first time I saw that episode, I was like, "Hey, cool! That conversation was almost word for word like the one I wrote in Damaged!" But then I remembered that I hadn't posted that chapter yet, and I was like, "Aw, crap! No one's ever going to believe I wrote that before I saw that episode!" But seriously, guys, I wrote it before it was canon!**


	31. Chapter 31: Denial

**AN: Surprise again! You guys get an extra chapter this week. Why? Two reasons. One, this chapter is kinda short and I don't like posting short chapters all by themselves and making you wait all that time for them, and two, after I post the next chapter on Saturday, you won't get another one for two weeks, because I will be out of the country. So, I'm trying to make it up to you in advance by giving you an extra chapter this week! Yay!**

 _Chapter 31: Denial_

 _Raph's POV_

 _tap tap tap_

Mmmmph. That sounds like knocking. I don't open my eyes. My pillow is soft, squishing my face, and I bury deeper into it.

 _tap tap tap_

What? Who's knocking? I blink my eyes open and push my face out of the pillow. My room is dim, lit by my jack-o-lantern lamp. Just the way I like it.

 _tap tap tap_

It's probably Leo, calling me to training. All the more reason to ignore him.

"Raph, it's me! Can I come in?"

What? That's Donnie. Donnie never wants to come in my room. Why would he. . . ?

Suddenly my memory hits me like a ton of bricks. No. No no no no no! It had to be a dream! A terrible, horrible nightmare. It had to be!

I try to stand up, and my heart plummets to my unresponsive toes. Not a dream.

 _tap tap tap_

"Raph, I know you're in there! Please answer me!"

"Go away!" I growl, and flop face down into my pillow, desperately trying to find that blissful place between sleeping and waking where I couldn't remember what had happened.

"Raph, please! Mikey and I made you something. We've been working on it all day."

I'm about to shout out that I don't want anything, when the image of Mikey's hurt face when I threw the smoothie at him yesterday flashes through my mind. I do kinda feel guilty about that. And about screaming Donnie out of his lab, too. I know they're both just trying to help, and I'm not actually mad at _them_. It's just that. . .

Arrrrrgh. . . "Fine!" I growl out, a little more harshly than I meant to.

I hear the door squeak open and since I'm lying flat on my plastron, I have to prop myself up on one elbow in order to turn and look at Donnie.

He's pushing a wheelchair.

"Donnie, what the _shell_ is that?!"

He immediately stops moving closer and suddenly looks a bit nervous.

"Um. . ."

"Get that _thing_ out of here! I don't want it!" I feel another twinge of guilt for shouting at my brother again, but I can't help it. The sight of that horrible chair in my bedroom suddenly made my anger boil up again.

"Raph, hear me out, okay?" Donnie puts his hands up defensively. "Just take a look at it. Mikey and I made a few modifications, and I think you might like it."

"Don't bet on it."

Donnie seems to take this nasty comment as permission to continue, 'cause he moves the wheelchair closer to the bed and launches into one of his long-winded explanations as he runs his hands along the chair, pointing out each new feature as he mentions them.

"See, we started with that old wheelchair that Mikey used a few years ago when he broke his leg. We replaced the seat and the back of the chair with new leather, greased the axles so the wheels run smoothly, and we added all these new compartments. Look, this pocket under the seat is perfect for holding comic books. These loops of leather back here are holsters for your sai. On this side of the chair is a folding tray than can be pulled out like this – see! Way easier to eat from than those high stools we have in the kitchen. And here we added a waterproof pocket for you to keep your T-phone in, just in case, complete with a clasp for the charger. Oh, and these straps are to hold your dumbbells. Well, the small ones, anyway, so you can work out whenever you want. And Mikey, of course, did all the painting. What do you think?"

I take a closer look at the chair in spite of myself. Those two really did go all out on this. The black leather of the seat is fitted with brass studs, the spokes of the wheels are painted a shiny, metallic red, and all the new pockets are decorated with symbols from my favorite bands or comic books. On the back of the seat is stenciled the Hamato clan symbol along with two crossed sai, in red spray paint. If it's possible for a wheelchair to look cool, this one looks cool. I don't know if I'm ready to admit that to Donnie, though.

"What's that big pocket on the side for?"

"Oh, Mikey insisted on that one. That's for snacks. See? There's even a cup holder inside it."

"Wow, you guys really thought of everything."

"So you like it?" The hopeful smile on Donnie's face is starting to cut through my defenses, but I can't look at the wheelchair without being reminded that I'm never gonna walk again, and I just can't accept that. I just can't.

"I don't want a wheelchair, Donnie."

His smile fades, but he says solemnly, "I know, Raph. I know you don't. But you're going to need one and Mikey and I, well, we just thought that maybe this would make it a little easier."

I can't believe they're both being this nice to me after the way I treated them yesterday, and I know I really should say something nice to Donnie, but. . . I look at the wheelchair again and imagine myself sitting in it, wheeling around the lair, and – I can't! I just can't!

I set my jaw in an attitude of refusal. "No! I'm not using a wheelchair, Donnie."

A flash of hurt crosses Donnie's face, followed by annoyance. "What are you going to do, then, Raph?" he demands. "Live in your bed forever?"

"Maybe!"

"And have Master Splinter _carry_ you to the bathroom every day, like he did earlier?"

My face flushes hot at that embarrassing reminder. "No!" I shout, refusing to accept that possibility as well.

"Then what, Raph?" Donnie's voice always gets higher pitched when he's angry.

"I don't know! I'll figure it out."

"You can't live in denial forever, you know!"

"Yes I can!"

"Fine!" Donnie gives the wheelchair a ferocious kick, which sends it rolling closer to my bed. Then he stomps out of the room and slams the door behind him.

I rub my hands down my face, growling into them to let out my frustration. The anger is still smoldering in my chest, but waves of guilt are washing over me as well. Donnie was just trying to help. Again. _Why_ do I always have to act like such a jerk to my brothers?

I glance around the room, as if looking for an answer, and my eyes fall on the offending chair beside my bed. I quickly shove it away from me as hard as I can, hoping to get it out of my sight, but it only crashes into my drum set, knocking over the one remaining cymbal with a ringing crash.

Burying my face in my pillow again, I scream my pain and turmoil into it, trusting the padded stuffing to muffle the sounds so my family won't hear.

.o0o.

 _Renet's POV_

One, two, three, turn. One, two, three, turn.

My prison cell is a perfect square, three steps on each side. I pace around and around it. One, two, three, turn. One, two three, turn. Every now and then I stop and go the other way, just to change things up. I am so _bored_!

You'd think being a prisoner in the Shredder's lair would be more interesting! But nothing is happening. I haven't seen that huge rhino guy since he dropped me in here, and I haven't seen Tiger Claw, or that creepy wolf mutant, or anyone else, either. I mean, it's not exactly like I _want_ to see any of those guys, but at least their appearance would break up this monotonous boredom! Why bother keeping me prisoner if they're not even going to find out who I am or why I was breaking into their lair?

The only "people" I ever see are the robot ninjas that sometimes bring me food. They look a lot like the ninja guards I talked to outside the front doors, except they don't talk at all. They just come in, shove a bowl of rice through the bars, and leave. All this boring waiting is driving me crazy!

One, two, three, turn. One, two, three, turn.

I'm worried sick about the Turtle Warriors. Leonardo and Raphael were captured, and I didn't even get to see if they were okay. Are they still prisoners, or did the other two come and rescue them? I wish I knew what was going on!

And seriously, what is the Shredder up to? If he has the Time Scepter, why hasn't he used it yet? Why is history still intact? He must've had it for days now. At least, I think it's been days. I've kind of lost track of time.

Well, I guess that pretty much sums up my entire mission, _losing track of time_! I'm a Time Master! Well, almost. I'm supposed to be in _control_ of time!

I stop pacing and sink down onto the cold stone floor. I'm the worst Time Master _ever_!

I look down at my beautiful new clothes, all soiled and dirty from my extended stay in the dungeon, and then over at my emergency pack, lying discarded on the floor outside my cell. I sniff a little and hug my knees.

I'm sick of the twenty-first century. I just want to go home.


	32. Chapter 32: Focus

**AN: Okay, guys, this is my last post before I leave. I'll be out of the country for two weeks, but when I get back, I will resume posting twice a week. So, expect the next update on, or shortly after, the 23rd. Until then, enjoy this chapter!**

 _Chapter 32: Focus_

 _Leo's POV_

I close my eyes and breathe deeply, bending my knees and gripping the rug with my toes. I exhale slowly, centering myself, preparing to move into well practiced katas. As my body begins to move smoothly through the familiar series of motions, I force myself not to look longingly at the katanas hung on the wall. Pining for the past will do me no good.

Sensei once taught us that, to the well-trained ninja, anything can be a weapon; even, as Mikey pointed out at the time, a comic book. Well, now my body will be my weapon. I will train harder than ever, making up for my lack of blades with sheer strength and skill. I refuse to let this drawback keep me down. I am ninja, and my enemies will still find me a formidable foe should they ever attempt to harm my family again.

That is, assuming Sensei ever lets any of us out of the lair again.

It has been three days since Raph and I were rescued, and during all that time Raph has kept to his room, refusing to let anyone but Master Splinter help him. Not that I particularly want to be the one to assist Raph in the bathroom, but his aggressive behavior is starting to wear on all of us. Our youngest brother continues to cook him tempting meals, but since that first day when Raph threw the smoothie at him, Mikey's refused to go into the "danger zone", as he dubbed Raph's room. Donnie and I have made a couple attempts, but no one can get through the wall of denial he's built around himself. He won't even try to use the wheelchair Mikey and Donnie made for him, which is stupid, because it would provide him with a lot more independence. He's just being agonizingly stubborn!

The fluid kicks of my kata bring me spinning around the tree and I land gracefully, letting out a sigh. I understand Raph's need for space, and at first was willing to grant it to him, but this has gone on long enough. He's not the only one dealing with a difficult handicap, and he can't be allowed to sulk in his room like a baby while the rest of us are trying to put our lives back together. I just wish I knew how to approach him.

I finish one set of katas and begin the next. Sensei hasn't resumed our regular training schedule yet. I'm not even sure if he plans to at all. Personally I think it would be good for us; even Raph, though his skills would be the most limited. I don't want us to be lax in our training, especially because of something else that has been on my mind.

The Foot Clan still has the Time Scepter.

Sure, Mikey sent Tiger Claw and Rahzar to Dimension X, and it's likely they didn't survive, but they didn't have the Time Scepter with them, which means that it's still at Foot HQ. And Stockman, at least, knows what it does. Even if Stockman doesn't choose to use it himself, when the Shredder gets back from Japan it will fall into his hands, and that – that's unthinkable. We have to do something about it.

Wiping the sweat from my brow with the back of my wrapped hand, I walk slowly down the few steps from the dojo and push aside the curtain into the kitchen. I need some water after my workout. Donnie is sitting at the table alone, a few scattered sheets of paper and some crayons in front of him. My eyes narrow in confusion as I try to make sense of the odd scene.

"What are you doing, Donnie?" I ask as I walk around the table toward the sink.

"Hmmm? Oh nothing, Leo," Donnie answers, his distracted tone indicating that my voice drew him out of a deep train of thought. "I was chatting with Mikey. He left a few minutes ago to finish his new video game." He is fiddling absentmindedly with two crayons, fingering them and twirling them about in his hands.

My quest for water has come to an abrupt halt as I cannot open the cupboard where the cups are kept.

"Uh, Donnie? Sorry, but would you mind giving me a hand?"

"Sure, Leo. You need a glass of water?" he asks as he gets up.

"Yeah."

A few seconds later Donnie sets a glass of water with a straw on the counter beside me and takes his seat at the table again.

I down the water in one long, continuous drink then plop down in the chair opposite Donnie, who has picked up the two crayons again, playing them through his fingers. There is a colorful picture in front of me and I lean forward to get a better look at it. "Mikey was drawing pictures?" I ask this merely for sake of conversation, because the answer is obvious.

"Yeah. He drew a family portrait of all of us before, you know. . . everything."

Some people might think it childish, drawing a family portrait with crayons, but Michelangelo has developed a rare artistic talent, and he can do more with crayons than most people could do with more refined utensils, partly because, for the most part, a box of broken crayons is all he's ever had to work with.

The portrait before me is a stunningly accurate portrayal of Master Splinter, my brothers, and I. We've got our arms around each other, laughing, goofing off. Even Raph, though his arms are folded grumpily across his chest, is cracking a smile. Splinter stands behind us, watching us with a look of fatherly affection. It's a beautiful drawing. Mikey's namesake would be proud.

Suddenly it hits me what Donnie just said. "Wait, how did you know what was in the picture?"

"Mikey told me," Donnie answers matter-of-factly, still giving part of his attention to fiddling with the crayons in his hands. "He said he wanted to see us all smiling again." He produces a half smile of his own as he says this.

I'm continually impressed with the level of communication my two youngest brothers have been able to achieve. I have no idea how Mikey told him all that, but Donnie certainly seems to have understood him. They have a deep connection, and I'm glad to see them overcoming barriers in order to maintain it.

There is silence for a few minutes as Donnie places the crayons next to each other as if comparing them. At last he says, almost absently, "Crayons are a strange thing."

"What?"

"I mean, the _only_ difference between them is their color. They are the same size, same shape, same texture." He holds up the two crayons he's been examining as he says this. "They even smell the same. The only way to tell them apart is by noticing their different colors."

"Yeah. . . That _is_ their purpose, after all, Donnie."

"I know, I know. It's just that. . . " He sighs. "I guess it's still weird to me that something so basic could be so useless to me now. Using all the senses I have left, these two crayons appear to be exactly the same. Yet they are probably vastly different colors, and that's the whole _point_ of them. But I would never be able to tell."

I don't know what to say to this. It's such a melancholy thought, but actually he doesn't seem too depressed about it. His expression and tone are more those of contemplation and observation. He's _interested_ by the fact that he can't detect the difference between the crayons, though there is a certain level of frustration there as well. He didn't ask, but I can tell there is one thing he does really want to know.

"Orange and green," I say.

He lifts his head and smiles at me. "Which is which?"

"The one in your right hand is orange, the other is green."

"Thanks."

"Well, that's what brothers are for."

He sets the crayons down on the table and there is a pause during which I try to figure out how to say what's been on my mind.

"Donnie," I begin at last, "there's something I've been thinking about, and I want to run it by you while Master Splinter is out."

Master Splinter has been out of the lair a lot more lately, since the duty of gathering food and supplies has once more fallen to him. Donnie lifts his head in my direction, showing me I have his full attention.

"Well, I've been thinking about the fact that the Foot still have the Time Scepter."

Donnie nods and I get the feeling that he's been thinking about this, too, but he doesn't interrupt me.

"And if the Shredder gets a hold of it, which he will when he gets back from Japan, he will use it to get his revenge on Splinter."

Donnie nods again and says grimly, "Yeah, he will probably go back in time and make sure that Tang Shen marries him instead of Sensei."

"Probably something like that," I agree. "In which case we would have never existed."

"And the Kraang would have succeeded in taking over New York, and possibly the world," adds Donnie.

"Donnie," I say solemnly, "we can't let that happen."

Donnie doesn't answer right away, but after a thoughtful pause, he asks, almost tentatively, "What exactly are you proposing, Leo?"

"I'm proposing that we get the Time Scepter back."

Silence again as Donnie takes this in. Honestly, I had expected him to protest, to start listing all the very obvious reasons why we can't storm Shredder's Lair in our current condition, to ask me what the shell I was thinking. But he doesn't. He seems to be seriously pondering the idea. When he speaks at last, all he says is, "Okay."

" _Okay_? You mean you're agreeing with me?" The surprise in my voice is fairly obvious. "You don't think I'm crazy for suggesting it?"

"Oh, I think you're crazy alright!" Donnie says with a smile. "But I also think you're right. We can't let the Shredder get the Scepter."

I grin, relieved, though a bit taken aback by this easy reception. "Alright. Mind you, I don't have a plan or anything yet. I just wanted to see if you're on board with the idea."

"The plan will come. Are you intending to take the whole team?"

By 'the whole team' I know he means Raph. "Yes. We do this together or not at all. We need each other, as you well know. And anyway, I'm hoping this will be the incentive Raph needs to get his butt out of his room."

"Well, I hope it works." Donnie smiles again. "One thing, though. If we are all going, how are we going to get there?"

A morbidly humorous image of us dragging Raph through the sewers flits through my brain.

"We'll take the Shellraiser."

"You can't drive the Shellraiser anymore, Leo."

That's another little wound in my heart. "I know. But do you think you could modify the Shellraiser so that we can still use it?"

Donnie looks skeptical. "I don't know, Leo. Normally I would say 'no problem', but now. . ."

"I know, Donnie, but remember, you have us, too. If we work together, do you think you could do it?"

He ponders for a moment. "Maybe."

"I know you can."

Another small smile appears on his face. "Thanks for the confidence, Leo," he says sincerely. Then pushing back his chair, he stands up to leave.

"Where are you going?" I'm used to hearing him reply, 'To my lab,' but this time his answer is unexpected.

"I'm going to bed."

"What? It isn't even ten o'clock yet." This would be considered early for any of us, but for my insomniac, workaholic brother this is unheard of.

"I know, it's just that. . . " He rubs the back of his head nervously, as if he isn't sure how to explain himself.

"What is it, Donnie? Are you not feeling well?" He doesn't look sick, but I can't think of any other explanation for him going to bed so early.

"No, I'm fine. I just feel like sleeping. I like sleeping."

Yeah, that's definitely not the whole reason. "Since when do you like sleeping? Come on, Donnie, what's up?"

He sighs in defeat. "I like sleeping now, Leo, because. . . " The melancholy expression is back as he pauses. "Because in my dreams I can still see."

"Oh." Every persuasive argument for him to stay up later dies on my lips, and I watch him silently as he turns and feels his way out of the kitchen, the curtain swinging shut behind him.

I sit here for a few minutes, letting my thoughts wander over all the horrible things that have happened to our family recently. I glance down at Mikey's cheerful drawing. This is how our family is supposed to look. Donnie said that Mikey drew us that way because he wants to see us all smiling again. I wonder if that will ever happen. Perhaps in time.

I give my head a shake and stand up. I need to focus on the task at hand: getting Raph to agree to go after the Time Scepter with us. Well, now is as good a time as any to confront him.

On my way to Raph's room I pass Mikey playing his newest video game in the pit. "Hey, Mikey, you need to clean up the crayons and paper you left out in the kitchen."

He manages to give me a cheerful thumbs up without disrupting the flow of his gameplay. I know I'll have to remind him again - he's probably already forgotten what I asked him to do - but right now I'm not going to let that bother me.

I'll talk to Mikey about our mission later. He's almost sure to be on board with it. It's Raph who will be more difficult.

As I approach the bedrooms, I notice that Donnie's door is already closed. I hope he has the good dreams he wanted. I hesitate a moment in front of Raph's door before knocking.

"Hey, Raph, it's me. Can I come in?"

There's a pause, and then an unexpected answer. "Sure."

Not waiting for him to change his mind, I push down on the door handle, grateful that our bedroom doors have handles instead of knobs, and open the door. Raph is sitting up in bed, hunched over, staring blankly at his hands in his lap. He no longer has an angry scowl on his face, and his posture is one of defeat.

"Hey, Fearless," he says in a dead voice as I approach the bed.

"Hey, Raph," I answer. Growing more confident that I'm not about to be thrown out of the room, I ask, "How are you feeling?"

He looks up at me and raises an eye ridge.

"Sorry, stupid question," I mumble hastily.

Raph sighs heavily and I watch him critically. There's no fire left in his eyes as he stares numbly at nothing at all. It seems his anger has been spent at last, giving way to a deep melancholy.

"Come on, Raph, it's time to come out of your room. You've been sulking in here long enough." Okay, that came out in more of a commanding leader tone than I wanted it to, but surprisingly, it doesn't get a rise out of my brother. He merely bows his head lower. I'm not sure if this means he agrees with me or not.

"You can't stay in here forever, Raph. This isn't going to help the situation. Mikey and Donnie and I have been putting a lot of effort into making things as normal as possible, and you won't even let us help you. You're not the only one suffering right now, you know."

Another heavy sigh. "I know, Leo. I've been a real jerk."

I'm not sure how to react to this. My lectures usually produce an angry, aggressive Raph. This despondent, apologetic Raph is new to me. Before I can come up with a response, he suddenly looks up at me and I can see hurt in his green eyes.

"Does Mikey hate me?" he asks. I almost laugh and blow off the question, but I notice the sincerity in his tone.

"What? No! Of course not!"

"He hasn't been in here since that first day."

"Well, you did throw a smoothie at him."

He sighs again. "Yeah, I know. What about Donnie?"

"Look, Raph, no one hates you, okay? We get why you acted the way you did. We just want you to come out now. We need you."

He scoffs. "What do ya need me for?" I really hate hearing that tone of self-loathing in my normally arrogant brother's voice.

"Well, for starters, we need you to help us get the Time Scepter back."

For a split second these words don't seem to register with Raph, but then he snaps his head up again. "What?"

"The Foot still have the Time Scepter. We need to get it back from them before the Shredder uses it to destroy everything. I've already asked Donnie about it and he agrees."

Raph just stares at me like I've completely lost my mind. "And how are we gonna do _that_?"

"Well, I don't have a plan yet, but I'm working on it."

Raph scoffs again, his sarcastic attitude starting to resurface. "Yeah, well, in case you haven't noticed, Leo, I can't even get out of bed."

"You better work on that, then," I say matter-of-factly, pushing his wheelchair within his reach. Then I head to the door. "Training starts at eight tomorrow morning."

I close the door on his stunned face and head back to the living room with a feeling of satisfaction.


	33. Chapter 33: Training

**AN: I'm back, everybody! I had an amazing trip, and I could go on for hours talking about it, but that's not why you're here. But before we get on to the next chapter, I just want to say two things. First, thank you all for being patient the last two weeks. There will not be any more delays in this story, because we only have ten chapters left, and I am going to try to post them all before I leave on another trip in three weeks. So they should come fairly frequently. Second, if you haven't seen it already, go to Deviantart and check out the awesome fanart that WinterHeath drew for my story! It's called "Repeat", and is a chilling scene from chapter 21. And now, without further ado, Chapter 33!**

 _Chapter 33: Training_

 _Mikey's POV_

Dude, I am so pumped! We're planning a top secret mission! Leo told me about it last night. We're gonna bust into Foot Headquarters ninja style and get back the Time Scepter!

When Leo came and talked to me, he was all in leader planning mode and it is so super awesome to have our old Leo back. It's gonna be worth all the danger and the who-knows-how-we're-gonna-do-it stuff, just for that.

If it happens, that is.

We're still waiting for Raph. Leo said training starts at eight, so I got up nice and early and made everyone a hearty breakfast, but Raph was a no show. Now we're all waiting for him in front of the TV. Leo told us not to go into his room and get him. He says Raph needs to figure out for himself if he still wants to be part of this team. I'm not sure what Leo will do if Raph doesn't come out, but it probably won't be pretty.

It's 7:30 now, so Raph has one more episode of Crognard to go before he has to come out for training. I was tempted to make a bet with Donnie about whether or not he would show up, but we both want him to come out so badly that no one wanted to bet against him.

I stare at the TV as Crognard uses his magic sword to gain his extra super strength. Then he takes out the giant rock monster with one punch. Man, he is so _awesome_!

The episode is almost over when I notice Donnie tilt his head up like he's listening, with a smile on his face.

"He's coming," he says quietly.

Leo and I instantly look up toward the bedrooms, and sure enough, Raph's door is open and his wheelchair is coming into view.

RAPH! He's barely out of his room before I tackle him in a massive hug. I knew you'd come out! I just knew it!

Raph grunts painfully under me and shoves me off. But he gives me an awkward smile anyway. "I missed you, too, Mikey."

I give him a huge smile, all memories of smoothies hurtling toward my head forgiven. Raph looks down at our other brothers, who are still sitting in the pit, like they're afraid that if they overreact, they might scare Raph back into his room for good.

"So, ready for training, Raph?" Leo asks as if everything in the world is back to normal.

"Sure, whatever."

I happily grab the handles on the back of his wheelchair and help him wheel down the makeshift ramp Donnie and I built over the stairs. It's a bit steeper than a wheelchair ramp should be, but it's better than nothing.

A few seconds later we are all tumbling into the dojo, ready for whatever Leo has planned. Master Splinter is out again. I don't even know why. He's been going out a lot lately, even when we have enough food. Maybe he went to pick up pizza gyoza!

"Okay, guys," Leo starts. He's in his classic leader pose, his fisted hands on his hips and a no-nonsense look on his face. "If we're really going to do this, if we're really going to break into Foot Headquarters and steal the Time Scepter, we have to take this seriously. We have a lot of new. . . disadvantages, and we're going to have to work together as a team in order to overcome them, so I was thinking. . ."

Leo's speech is starting to get boring, and this is usually the point where Raph interrupts and tells him to get on with it already. I look over at Raph, expecting him to look grumpy and impatient, but he actually doesn't look like he's going to stop Leo this time. He kinda looks like he's trying really hard to give Leo his attention. I guess he's trying to make up for the bad attitude he's had the last few days. Heh. I wonder how long that will last!

". . . Everyone got that? Good! Then let's get started!"

Oops. I totally wasn't paying attention to most of that. I look around quickly to try and figure out what we're supposed to do. Donnie is moving toward Leo, like they're pairing up, and he's already got his bo out. I pull out my chucks and glance at Raph, who is smirking at me.

"You have no idea what we're doing, do you, Mikey?"

I give him a sheepish smile and shake my head.

"Geez, Mikey, will you ever learn to pay attention?"

Nope. Probably not.

"It's two on two. You and me against Leo and Donnie."

I'm guessing Leo gave more detailed instructions than that, but that's good enough for me. I get into a defensive stance in front of Leo and Donnie as Raph wheels himself up next to me.

"You know this is stupid, right Leo?" he scoffs. Leo ignores him.

"Hajime!"

I decide to go for Donnie first. Even without a weapon, Leo will still be the hardest one to defeat. Donnie isn't making any moves to attack. He's standing there with his bo ready, listening hard.

This is gonna be a cinch!

I slip into super stealth mode and try to sneak up on him, but suddenly Leo calls out, "Two o'clock, Donnie!"

With lightning quick speed, Donnie swings his bo and cracks me hard in the shoulder. Ouch! Hey, that's cheating! Now that Donnie's figured out where I am, he's on the attack and I have to dodge out of the way, back toward Leo and Raph.

I had expected Raph to be taken down in the first few seconds, but nope! Leo hasn't even been able to get close to him yet. Raph keeps taking all sorts of different shuriken out and throwing them, one after the other, at Leo. Without his swords, Leo can't block them, so they're making him dance and dodge all over the place. Well, good to see Raph's putting all those extra pockets and things to use! Go Raph!

Behind me, Donnie takes a swing at where he thinks I am, but I've moved and he misses me completely. Strike one, Donnie! I land a twirling nunchuck on the back of his shell, making him shout, "Hey!" before I dodge away again. I've just noticed that Raph is running out of ammo he can throw, and Leo's about to take him down. Not on my watch, Leo!

Leaving Donnie confused behind me, I convert my nunchuck into a kusarigama and pause, waiting for the right moment. Leo leaps toward Raph, and just as Raph chucks his last throwing star, I fling the weighted end of my chain at Leo. He has to twist in midair to avoid the shuriken, and ends up right in the path of my kusarigama. The chain catches Leo off guard and wraps around his legs. With a yank on the chain, I land him flat on his face. Ha!

"Nice one, Mikey!" cries Raph.

Leo, with his hands wrapped up and useless, is having a hard time untangling himself from the chain.

"Leo?" calls Donnie, trying to figure out what just happened.

"I'm down, Donnie! Look out!"

I think everyone expects me to run at Donnie and engage him in combat again. Well, if I have a fighting style, it's being unpredictable! Plus, I'm starting to figure out what Leo meant about us all working together. This is supposed to be a team effort. So instead of running at Donnie, I run toward Raph. He looks up at me, surprised, but I put a finger to my lips telling him to be quiet as I rush behind his wheelchair and gear up for top speed.

Leo, still lying tied up on the floor, tries to warn his teammate. "Donnie, watch out! He's gonna -" But Raph throws one of his sai at Leo, making him roll over to avoid it so he can't finish what he was saying.

Not worrying about Leo, I push Raph's wheelchair forward as fast as I can, right toward Donnie, who hears us coming and tries to dodge out of the way. But at the last second I slam on the brakes and instead of crashing into Donnie as he expected, I send Raph flying out of his chair with a surprised "Aaaaugh!" right into Donnie as he tries to run away.

A very stunned Raph crashes into Donnie's shell and tackles him to the ground, pinning him down.

"Ack! Okay, okay, I'm down!" Donnie cries, after faceplanting into the rug.

I fist pump the air and begin my victory dance as Raph, still on top of Donnie, cries, "Ha! We won!"

Leo, who has finally managed to remove most of the chain from his ankles, says, "That was a little unorthodox, but I guess I'll give it to you."

"A little unorthodox?" Raph smirks. "Mikey used a cripple to take down a blind guy. There is something _seriously_ wrong with that!" But he's smiling as he says it and I can't help laughing.

Soon even Donnie and Leo are chuckling and all of a sudden the huge fog of sadness that's been hanging over the lair for the last several days shatters into a million pieces. And when Donnie says, "Okay, Raph, you can get off me now," and I reach down to try to help Raph back into his chair, he just smirks at me and grabs my arm, pulling me down with him. Donnie squawks at the added weight and Leo comes to help, too, and before I know it, we're all in a rough and tumble turtle pile, wrestling and laughing all over the floor.

I'm pretty sure this is not the organized training session Leo had in mind, but it's exactly what we all needed and nobody's complaining. As I shove Leo off of me for a final time, he sits up and says, "Okay, guys, I have another idea!"

.o0o.

 _Splinter's POV_

My heart feels heavy as I walk slowly through the sewers toward our home. I stayed out a bit longer than I meant to. The sun was already coming up by the time I made it back underground after surveying the Shredder's lair.

Oroku Saki is not yet back from Japan, and according to information Donatello had previously collected, he is not expected back for a couple weeks. Things are very quiet around his lair. The Foot seem to be doing very little in the absence of their master. I must act soon, while I have this chance.

My sons have not mentioned it since we brought Leonardo and Raphael home, but I have not forgotten that the Foot are still in possession of the Time Scepter. If this object is as powerful as my boys have said, it must not remain with the enemy, and most importantly, must not be allowed to fall into the hands of Oroku Saki.

I am determined to retrieve it before Saki returns, but two things are yet holding me back. First, I have no idea what this Scepter looks like. There are many curious objects in Saki's lair, particularly in the lab, and I am not certain that I shall be able to correctly identify the Scepter. Yet, asking my sons about the Scepter's appearance would surely arouse suspicion among them, and I do not want to plant the idea of such a mission in their minds. They would certainly wish to help, and I cannot allow such a risk.

Secondly, though I am fairly certain of completing my mission and returning unharmed, it is still highly dangerous, and though in the past I have not hesitated to risk my own life, things have now changed. My sons need me now more than they have in many years. I cannot bear to think what might happen to them if I fail to return from my mission.

Yet I must take this risk, for I see no other option.

As my thoughts swirl along these frustrating paths, my feet take me within sight of the turnstiles which mark the entrance to our home. Perking my ears forward, I can hear the sounds of my sons. They are making more noise than they have been recently and I wonder what is going on.

As I enter the lair I realize that the scuffling and shouts are coming from the dojo. It sounds as though they are. . . training? Curious, I move toward the doorway.

"Ha! Take that, Mikey!"

I am surprised and pleased to hear the voice of Raphael. He has emerged at last from his self-imprisonment!

I peer through the doorway, undetected by my sons, who are engaged in a very unusual form of training. Raphael is perched on the shoulders of Leonardo, and is battling Michelangelo, who is similarly seated on Donatello's shoulders. They seem to be attempting to knock each other to the ground.

I watch in amusement as Raphael grabs tightly onto one of Michelangelo's arms and twists, trying to pull him down. Rather than fight strength with strength, Michelangelo, always one for unusual methods, attacks by tickling Raphael in the side.

"Why you little dork!" Raphael yells, as he involuntarily lets go of Michelangelo. He retaliates with a powerful left swing.

Donatello suddenly leaps Michelangelo out of harm's way, apparently directed by his youngest brother, though I cannot tell how.

"Quick, Leo! After them!"

"I am, Raph! You try hauling your heavy butt around!"

"Ha! They're never going to catch us, Mikey! Which way are they coming?"

I chuckle a little to myself as I watch my sons' antics, but I can't help feeling a sense of pride as well. They are clearly learning to work together as a team. I do not make my presence known until my youngest two win the game as Donatello unexpectedly trips Leonardo just as Raphael aims another punch at Michelangelo. The older two boys tumble to the ground as Donatello whoops in victory, accompanied by a quieter, but no less triumphant punching of the air by Michelangelo.

"Well done, my sons," I say as I enter the room. All four heads turn instantly in my direction.

"Sensei!" cries Leonardo, hastily getting up off the floor. "I didn't know you were there! We were just, um. . ."

"Training, I see," I say with a smile, letting him know that I am not displeased. Leonardo visibly relaxes. Michelangelo meanwhile has dismounted his brother and is helping Raphael back into his wheelchair, which I am glad to see he is finally using without protest.

"Was this little game your idea, Leonardo?" I ask.

"Hai, Sensei," he replies, still looking a little nervous.

"It was, I think, an excellent exercise in working together as a team."

Leonardo glows under my praise and says, more confidently, "Hai, Sensei! That was the idea."

"Do you mind if I watch as you continue?"

"No, Sensei, of course not!" And he immediately turns to his brothers, ready to instruct them in further exercises.

I take my seat at the base of the tree, watching my young leader blossom in his role. He has learned much, and it fills me with pride to see him drawing his brothers out of despair and encouraging them to overcome obstacles. Perhaps they do not need me quite as much as I thought.


	34. Chapter 34: Preparations

_Chapter 34: Preparations_

 _Leo's POV_

"That's looking really great, Donnie," I say as I look down at my brother, whose face is set in concentration. Donnie is half lying, half crouching on the floor of the Shellraiser, adding new upgrades to the vehicle.

For the past few days we have been developing our plan for infiltrating Shredder's Lair. A lot of that time has been spent adding new features to the Shellraiser. For Raph at least, but also for Donnie, traveling by sewers would be difficult, and traveling by rooftops impossible. I knew the Shellraiser would definitely be our best bet, but it needed some modifications to accommodate our new physical limitations.

Currently, Donnie is working on installing clamps in the floor where the driver's seat used to be so that Raph can attach his wheelchair there. I have to admit, it was difficult for me to give up the position of driver. I really like being in control of the vehicle, but as all the driving controls are hand operated, that left either Mikey or Raph as the only ones capable of driving. One mental image of Mikey behind the wheel made that decision easy. Raph will be the driver.

"Hey, Mikey, can you hand me that wrench?" Donnie asks, holding out his hand to Mikey who is sitting beside him with the tool box.

Instead of putting a wrench in his hand, though, Mikey traces a sign on it that I don't catch. It must have meant something like 'Which one?', though, because Donnie answers, "The one that's -" and then finishes with a couple signs of his own. I'm pretty sure the first one was 'small' but I didn't understand the rest. Mikey must have, though, because he immediately rummages in the tool box and pulls out a wrench, putting it in Donnie's waiting hand.

"Thanks, Mikey."

I stand here sort of awkwardly, wishing I could be of more help. It turns out hands are pretty important when it comes to working on vehicles, so Mikey's actually been of the most assistance to Donnie. I do what I can, though, including moral support.

"Leo, can you tell me if this is straight?"

I look closely at the piece he's installing. "Tilt it down a little to the left."

"Like this?"

"Yeah, that's good."

Donnie tightens the bolt with a few cranks of the wrench, then sits up and wipes his greasy hands on a rag. "Okay, Leo, you can take the wheelchair back to Raph. I'm done with it now."

"No problem," I say, though in actuality Mikey has to help me lift the chair out of the Shellraiser and onto the floor.

"Oh, and Leo?" comes Donnie's voice from inside the vehicle. "Could you also let me know how far he is on those explosive devices? If he finishes those, I think we might be ready to leave by tomorrow night."

"Sure, Donnie."

Raph was given the task of attaching tiny remote activation devices onto a few dozen miniature explosives Donnie had made. Apparently this was a project Donnie had been in the middle of before everything happened, and now these explosive devices have become an integral part of our plan.

When Raph was told he would be the one to assemble the devices, however, he protested rather loudly, saying that "mechanics and electrical stuff" was Donnie's job. Donnie calmly pointed out that he couldn't do it – something about matching certain colored wires – and Raph was subdued enough to give it a try.

As I push the wheelchair through the lab and out the door, which Donnie graciously left open for my sake, I see Raph sitting on the bench in the pit. I am rather surprised to see the entire pile of explosive devices completed beside him. I smile to myself. Turns out Raph was fully up to the job, once he set his mind to it.

As I push the chair closer to the pit, though, Raph doesn't look at me. I notice he's holding his T-phone to his ear, though he doesn't appear to be talking to anyone.

"Hey, Raph. What are you doing?" I sit down beside him, but he still hasn't so much as glanced my way.

After a couple more seconds, he lowers the T-phone with a sigh, a sigh that sounds unexpectedly melancholy. "Mikey forgot to charge his phone. Again." He gives this statement while still looking at his own phone in his hand.

I am left baffled, trying to figure out the connection between my question and his answer. After a few seconds in which Raph chooses not to elaborate, I decide to voice my confusion. "So. . . ?"

"So when you call his phone it goes straight to voicemail," Raph answers shortly.

I'm still not getting the point here, and finally Raph just looks at me exasperatedly and holds his phone to my ear, punching the call button as he does so.

"Raph, what - ?"

"Just listen."

I lean into his phone and my heart stops at the familiar voice that plays through the device. "Hey, dude! What's up? You're totally calling my phone, but I'm not here right now. Well, I'm here _now_ , but the me in the future, who you're calling, is like, probably off kicking butt on some Kraang bots or dominating on video games. Whatever I'm doing, future me is totally too busy to answer the phone, but I'm sure I definitely want to hear what you're calling about. I bet it's awesome and . . . What'd you say, D? There's a time limit? Oh, hey, sorry about that, future caller, but Donnie says I gotta wrap this up or I'm gonna run out of time. But I do totally want to talk to you, so just leave me a message so I know you called and -" * BEEP *

A lump forms in my throat as I listen to Mikey's rambling message. _Man_ , I miss that obnoxious voice of his. I glance up at Raph and our eyes meet. He's wearing a small, grim smile, and nods in an understanding way.

At the final beep, Raph lowers the phone. His voice comes out as a low, determined growl as he says, "I hope those creeps are _really_ suffering in Dimension X."

I nod in agreement as he puts his phone on speaker and hits the call button again.

.o0o.

 _Splinter's POV_

 _Several hours later._

As I pass by the large garage door on my way home, I can hear the unmistakable sounds of mechanical tinkering coming from within Donatello's lab. I smile to myself. He has been spending more time in there lately, a sure sign that he has begun to regain his confidence. Slinging the large duffel bag full of newly obtained food supplies over my shoulder, I move silently toward the entrance of the lair, passing through the turnstiles into the living room.

"Hi, Sensei!" calls Leonardo from the middle of the room, where he and Raphael are watching television together. His voice is unnaturally loud.

"Hello, Leonardo," I answer in a much more suitable tone of voice.

"Are you _back_ already?" he asks, again with too much volume.

My eyes narrow in suspicion, particularly when Leonardo glances guiltily toward Donatello's lab and is quickly cuffed on the shoulder by Raphael, causing him to look up at me with exaggerated innocence.

Rather than answering Leonardo, I, too, look toward Donatello's lab. The door is ajar and the tinkering sounds emanating from within have suddenly ceased. I frown. The boys are clearly up to something. I drop the duffel to the floor and, with purposeful strides, walk toward the lab. Leonardo instantly jumps to his feet.

"Sensei!"

I turn to look at him, one eyebrow raised. "Yes, Leonardo?"

He stammers for a moment, looking guilty, but says only, "Nothing, Sensei," and hastily sits back down beside Raphael, who gives him a shove and a few nasty, meaningful glances.

As I turn and enter the lab, I am instantly bombarded by my youngest son, who barrels into me, crushing me in an unexpected embrace. I am startled, but do not let my surprise show in my voice. "Hello, Michelangelo."

He beams up at me, his freckled face the picture of innocence, but I don't believe it for a second. Looking past him, I see Donatello stepping carefully out of the Shellraiser.

"Donatello, what are you doing?" I keep my voice casual, devoid of accusation. If the boys think I suspect them, they will be much less likely to reveal anything.

"Oh, nothing much, Sensei. Just tinkering with the Shellraiser. I thought I'd give it a couple modifications, you know, just in case. . ." A look of wistful longing crosses his face, and I understand him to mean just in case I ever let them out of the lair again.

I feel a stab of guilt at this. I know it is cruel for me to keep them shut up underground, but I can think of no other way to be assured of my sons' safety. The world is a hostile place, and they have far too many enemies. It was dangerous enough when they were strong and whole. Now. . . I can't bear to think what might happen.

"I see," is all I answer Donatello. Is this really all my sons were hiding from me? That they were fixing their vehicle in the slight hope that I might let them use it? I sincerely doubt it. There is a deeper plan here, and I intend to get to the bottom of it. For now, though, I decide to put them off their guard.

Pretending to believe him, I say, "I am impressed, Donatello. Your ability to work together with your brothers has helped you to achieve more than you thought you could. It has been good to see you hard at work again these last few days. This lab was empty for too long."

I watch Donatello's face carefully as I am speaking to him. His expression flashes from surprise to pleasure, to – yes, there it is – guilt. He's hiding something more. My apparent approval of the situation is making him uncomfortable.

"Perhaps after some time, I will allow you four to test your new modifications and take a trip in the Shellraiser."

Again the mixture of surprise and guilt. Leaving him in that state, I turn toward the door saying, "If you need me, I will be in my room."

I walk quickly past my oldest sons, looking nervous on the couch, and through the dojo to my chamber beyond. I have an inkling I know what the boys are planning. Donatello is not fixing the Shellraiser _just in case_. They are planning a trip to the surface. A very specific trip, and one of which they know I would most certainly not approve. Could they be. . . ?

No, no surely not. They cannot be preparing to retrieve the Time Scepter themselves. Yes, they can be reckless at times, but surely they would not attempt something so completely foolish.

I shake my head, trying to banish the fearful idea, but deep down, I know that this is exactly what they are planning.

Forbidding them to do it would be pointless. The way they are sneaking behind my back proves they already know it to be forbidden. No, the best way to keep them from trying to get the Time Scepter would be to succeed in obtaining it myself first, thus eliminating the need for such a risky venture.

Yes. I must delay no longer. Too much is at stake. I shall go myself tomorrow night.


	35. Chapter 35: Teamwork

_Chapter 35: Teamwork_

 _Donnie's POV_

This is it. We are actually going to do this. It is sometime late at night and Master Splinter is out again, as Leonardo expected he would be, though I don't know where he's gone. We have plenty of food from the supply run he made last night.

Leo says it doesn't matter. We have to do this tonight because Splinter is starting to suspect and he may soon take drastic measures to keep us in the sewers. Not that that ought to be necessary. This is undoubtedly the stupidest thing we've ever done.

I follow close behind Leo as he leads us on the familiar path into my lab. Mikey is right behind me, helping Raph wheel up the forty-five degree plywood ramp covering the stairs.

My stomach is doing flip flops as I step into the Shellraiser and feel for my customary seat. I find it and sit down, my hands shaking as I buckle the seat belt. I haven't admitted it to any of my brothers, but I'm absolutely terrified.

It is frightening enough having to relearn everyday tasks in the safety and comfort of my own home. Now I am about to plunge myself, blind, into not only unknown territory, but into an extremely dangerous and hostile environment. And that's not even taking into account all the difficulties my brothers will face. The black abyss of the frightful unknown yawns before me and it suddenly strikes me as much more sensible to remain on firm, familiar ground.

Mikey must have noticed my apprehension, because as he clambers on board the Shellraiser, he takes one of my trembling hands in his and presses his sign for "okay" into it, giving me a reassuring pat on the shoulder before heading to his seat. He's telling me it's going to be okay. While I appreciate his optimism, it really only makes me feel marginally better. Still, I find myself wishing Mikey was still able to be navigator, because in his new seat at the weapons control, he is too far away to talk to me.

"Alright, everybody ready?" comes Raph's voice from the front of the car.

No. Definitely not.

"Yep, all set!" I answer along with Leo. This is no time to let fear get the better of me. I agreed to this mission from the start because I understood the necessity of it. So, foolish or not, this is something we have to do.

I take a deep breath to steel my nerves as Raph starts up the engine. We can do this. We _can_ do this.

"Alright, Raph," Leo calls out from his place in the navigation station. "You're going to need to take the first right, and then go five blocks -"

"I know how to get to Shredder's Lair, Leo!" snaps Raph as the Shellraiser lurches through a sharp right turn. "We've been there plenty of times before."

"Yeah, but you've never _driven_ there. It's different!"

"I know what I'm doing!"

" _Don't turn left there_!"

"What? Why not? That's the way!" yells Raph as he begins to turn left, then swerves to avoid the turn in response to Leo's shout. "Great! Now you made me miss the turn!"

"You can't turn there; it's a one way street."

"We _always_ go that way!"

"Yeah, when we're running on the _rooftops_! Go another block down and _then_ turn left."

"Quit telling me what to do!"

"I'm the _navigator_! What's the point of having a navigator if you don't listen to his directions?"

"I don't know, Leo! You tell me!"

"Now you missed the turn! You'll have to go all the way around the block to get back to that street!"

I clutch the arms of my chair as the Shellraiser leans precariously to one side as it squeals recklessly into a left hand turn, reflecting the mood of our driver.

"Will you two shut up already?" I call out to them. "I would really like to arrive at our destination in one piece." And I thought we were supposed to be practicing working _together_!

They both fall silent, though I hear a few muttered grumbles coming from the front of the car. Before long the Shellraiser comes to a stop in what I presume to be the dark alley one block behind Shredder's Lair, as that was the agreed upon destination. We know from experience that it is a particularly dark and abandoned alley, and therefore the perfect spot to hide the Shellraiser, which isn't exactly a discreet vehicle.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and pry my fingers off the arms of my chair. Huh. And to think that getting here was the _easy_ part.

"Okay, guys, before we get out, we're going to go over the plan one more time."

"Aw, come on, Leo!" complains Raph. "We don't need to -"

"Yes, we do, Raph. This is possibly the most dangerous mission we've ever undertaken. We cannot afford to risk anything going wrong." Leo is using his leader voice he reserves for his pre-mission speeches, and though I usually tune him out at that point, this time I agree with him. Repeating the plan will be beneficial, especially for a certain youngest member of our group who has the repeated tendency to completely forget his part of the mission.

Raph doesn't protest further, though I can hear him grunt and fold his arms in a stand-offish display of disagreement. I can also hear Mikey bouncing up and down impatiently in his seat, and I hope he's paying attention.

"Right," continues Leo. "So, remember that this is a stealth mission. We are in no condition to take on the Shredder's armies in hand to hand combat. Our goal is to sneak in, locate the Time Scepter, retrieve it, and then destroy the building once and for all using the miniature explosives Raph put together."

It's Mikey's job to carry the bag of explosives. At the mention of them, the sound of the bag rattling comes from his direction, and Leo says, "Yes, Mikey, those ones." Oh, I seriously hope Raph tightened the connectors properly, or shaking them around like that could cause the flex wires to connect and complete the circuit, setting off a premature chain reaction. I open my mouth to admonish Mikey, but Leo is talking again, and interrupting him will only make his speech longer.

"We will sneak in through the underground entrance in the sewers. As we move through the Lair, we will place the explosives on key structural points of the building. Then once we are safely out of range, Raph will activate them using the controls here on the Shellraiser."

"I still don't see why I have to stay here," grumbles Raph.

"Because, Raph," says Leo in an exasperated tone, "we need someone on surveillance. Some of the corridors and entrances in Shredder's Lair have cameras watching them, and Donnie set up the Shellraiser's monitors to hack into them."

I smile a little. I did that months ago and the Shredder still hasn't figured it out.

"We need someone to stay here and keep us aware of any approaching enemies," continues Leo. "The three of us will all be wearing two-way headsets to keep in contact with you."

"Yeah, but I don't know why it has to be me." Raph, as usual, is refusing to be cooperative. "Surveillance stuff is Donnie's thing."

I decide to speak up. "Well, now it's _your_ thing, Raph. I can't exactly survey anything anymore, can I?"

"Well, why can't Mikey do it?"

"Because he can't talk into the headset!" I refrain myself from adding ' _duh_ ', but my tone certainly implies it.

"Why couldn't Leo -"

"Raph!" Leo interrupts. "Do you really want me to spell it out? You can't walk. It would be nearly impossible to get you through the enemy's lair undetected. We need someone on surveillance. It has to be you. End of discussion."

I can feel Raph fuming, but all he says is a ground out, "Fine."

Personally, I would trade jobs with him in a heartbeat. I guess we all have to reverse our roles a bit.

"Alright, Donnie, do you have the headsets?" Leo asks.

I reach for the satchel slung at my side and pull out the four headsets. Raph and Mikey each take theirs, and I help Leo put his on and adjust it over his ear slits.

"Remember not to talk into them unless you are absolutely _certain_ you won't be overheard," Leo continues. "We are trying to remain undetected."

I nod in understanding as I put my own headset on and check to make sure my bo is in place on my back. I feel a blast of cool night air as Mikey slides open the door.

"Okay, guys. Let's do this!"

I hear my two brothers step out into the night and I move forward myself, grasping the door frame tightly before taking the step down onto the ground below. Then I stand there, frozen. All I can feel is the cold concrete beneath my feet and the cool night air blowing gently past me. All I can hear is the constant hum of the city all around me, though no one sound is close enough or distinct enough to give me a decent grasp of my surroundings.

When I'm at home in the lair, even though I can't see anything, I always have a clear mental picture of the room around me, including the location of all the people and objects in it. But here, all is empty, frightful unknown. I reach out a hand but no form brushes my fingertips and I feel sudden panic rising in my chest.

Then suddenly my reaching hand is clasped in the warm and familiar hand of my little brother. Mikey is real and solid and his touch begins to ground my senses as he gives my arm a little tug, encouraging me to move forward.

"Come on, Donnie, you can do this. Follow me." Leonardo's voice is strong, something I can trust. Clinging to the sound, I turn in his direction and, my confidence returning, I begin walking forward into the emptiness, guided by my two brothers.

In a moment Mikey lets go of me and I hear the scrape of a manhole cover being removed. Then Mikey is back, guiding me toward the ladder descending into the sewers. This is familiar. This I can do.

Climbing quickly down the ladder, I am soon surrounded by the stench of the sewers that, though unpleasant, is comforting in its own way, due to its familiarity. As my brothers slip down the ladder behind me, I again hesitate to take a step forward, unsure of the correct direction.

Once again Mikey finds my groping hand and, moving me a few inches to the left, brings my fingers into contact with the rough, damp stone of the walls. With the solid wall as my guide, I step more confidently after my brothers, making our way toward the sewer access point in the deep dungeon-like tunnels under Shredder's Lair.

After a brief climb up another ladder, we are standing in a cool, silent corridor which I know leads eventually to Shredder's dungeons. The air, no longer smelling of the sewer, is still and stale.

"Wow, it's _really_ dark down here," breathes Leo in a scarcely audible whisper.

I suppress the urge to say 'Welcome to my world' and instead wait patiently for his instructions.

"Raph, we made it to the underground tunnels." Leo's voice is slightly louder now, evidently speaking into his mic.

I hear Raph's voice buzzing in my ear. "Okay, good. There's no cameras on that level, or in the dungeons, so I can't see anything down there, but there are a few Footbots in the hallway outside the dungeons."

"Thanks, Raph, we'll worry about that when we come to them," answers Leo. "We'll keep you informed.

"Okay, guys," Leo's whisper is now directed at me and Mikey. "The only way into the rest of the building is through the dungeons. We need to head in that direction. Donnie, you lead the way."

"What? _Me_?" I have trouble keeping my voice down as it rises in pitch with surprise. "How am I supposed to lead? I can't see anything, Leo!"

"None of us can see anything down here, and you have the most experience finding your way in the dark."

"Seriously? Why don't you just use the flashlight app on your T-phone?"

"Because I don't want to alert anyone to our presence. A bright, moving light will be noticed by our enemies before we even know they're there."

"But, Leo -"

Leo cuts off my protestations before I can continue. "Donnie, stop and think for a moment. Do you know the way up to the next level from this tunnel?"

His direct question gives me something to think about other than my growing panic. I close my eyes to concentrate and instantly images of the schematics and floor plans of the entire Foot Headquarters flash through my mind. I've spent hours poring over them for many of our previous missions. After a moment's contemplation, I answer Leo.

"Yes. Yes, I know the way."

"Good. Then as long as we are in the dark, you are the most qualified to lead. Which way?"

"Straight ahead, then we take the second left."

"Alright, then let's go."

I move to the left-hand side of the corridor. Placing one hand on the wall, and feeling my way along, I begin to walk forward. Leo's right. I can do this.

Suddenly I feel Mikey's hand slip into mine and grip it tightly. Now he's asking _me_ to guide _him._ I squeeze back reassuringly.

"Mikey, why don't you take Leo's arm, too, and make sure he's following the right way?" I whisper. It just occurred to me that in this kind of darkness, Leo is essentially blind without hands, which is scary.

"I'm fine, Donnie," comes Leo's quiet voice from a little too far behind me. I feel a slight tug on my arm as Mikey reaches back for Leo and leads him forward.

Satisfied that everyone is heading in the same direction, I continue down the hall, tracing my fingers along the damp stone, with my brothers close behind me. Before long I feel an emptiness and a cold draft of air on my left where the wall should be. That's the first tunnel, which just leads to some storage rooms or something. Two steps forward and I feel the wall again. Okay, this isn't so hard.

The next time I feel the wall disappear, I turn into the empty space and begin walking down the next corridor.

"Hey, there's a faint light up ahead," Leo says in his tiny whisper. "I think I can make out some stairs. Great job, Donnie, you led us the right way."

There is a certain satisfaction in accomplishing this, but my feeling of usefulness dwindles as Leonardo confidently steps past me toward the light that only he and Mikey can see. Still holding my hand, Mikey pulls me forward at a quicker pace than I had been leading them moments ago. Several steps later we pause, evidently at the foot of the stairs.

"Okay, guys, there are torches burning up there, so there might be people around. Maybe prisoners, maybe guards. Just be as silent as possible, but also keep an eye out for the Time Scepter. Remember, it could be anywhere. Donnie, stick with Mikey. If we need to hide quickly, he'll make sure you aren't seen."

I nod grimly before following Leo up the cold stone stairs. Thirteen steps later we reach the top and begin to creep forward. I keep one hand on the back of Mikey's shell, finding this much the easiest way to have him lead me without being encumbered.

Suddenly my ears pick up the slightest sound of movement and breathing coming from somewhere in front of us and slightly to the right. Someone's here!

My brothers, however, do not stop moving and I must assume that I am the only one who heard it. Quickly, I grab Mikey's shell and turn him around so he's looking at me. At least, I hope he's looking at me. I sign to him that I heard someone.

He grabs my hand. _Where_?

I point vaguely ahead of us and sign for him to tell Leo.

There is a moment's silence during which I'm hoping that my message is being passed on. I stand there rather stupidly, wondering what to do. Leo won't dare speak aloud with someone so near, but how else is he going to convey instructions to me?

Suddenly, from a displacement of air just in front of me, I am aware that Mikey is gone. I can't hear him but I assume he was sent ahead to scope things out. Then Leo is beside me, rubbing shoulders with me briefly, as if to reassure me that he's still here.

I try signing to Leo to ask him what I should do, though I'm not sure how much of our sign language he understands. Before he can figure out a way to answer me without making a sound, however, we suddenly hear an audible gasp coming from several yards ahead, followed by a female voice crying out excitedly.

"Michelangelo!"

Leo and I both stiffen. But wait, I know that voice.

 _Renet?_


	36. Chapter 36: Encounter

_Chapter 36: Encounter_

 _Splinter's POV_

I approach the dwelling of my greatest enemy with utmost caution. Although my heart is burning with the lust for revenge against my former brother and his clan for all the pain he has caused my family, I cannot afford to be reckless. My sons are depending on me. I must fulfill my mission and return safely to them.

From a vantage point across the street, I survey the front entrance of the cathedral-like building. The impressive structure overshadows all others around it, both in size and magnificence. Saki always had a weakness for grandeur.

Beside the large double front doors, two Foot ninja stand guard, occasionally walking lazily back and forth and glancing disinterestedly down the street. They are emanating a distinct air of boredom. Clearly, they are not robots.

Of course, it would probably be more secretive to enter the lair through the underground passageways, but this is quicker, and none of the Shredder's minions hold much of a threat for me.

I pull my hood far forward over my head so that my face is hidden in shadow. Then, as both the guards are looking the other way, I move, unnoticed onto the roof directly above them. Slipping one of my sons' eggshell smoke pellets from a pouch inside my robes, I toss it deftly into the alley on the side of the building.

Instantly, purple smoke billows from that direction, and the two guards, alerted by the sight and likely eager for something interesting to do, scamper around the corner to investigate. I smile and slip through the door, silent as the shadows, closing it behind me before the guards return to their posts.

I am now standing in the vast entrance hall of Saki's domain. I have been here before and know that the enormous, triangular black door straight ahead leads directly into his throne room. I am not interested in going that way, for it is unlikely that the Scepter will be in there. My best guess is that the scientist, Baxter Stockman, has possession of it, and therefore it is through the door on the left, which leads eventually down to his lab, that I shall go.

As I take a noiseless step forward, I sniff the air, my keen rodent senses picking up subtleties of scent no human could detect. I freeze instantly.

Saki is here.

The unmistakable scent of the man who was once my brother is everywhere; not stale and faded as in his absence, but fresh and strong as though he just passed through this room.

Instinctively, I duck back into the darker shadows in a corner of the room. Saki was not due back for another week! What made him return early? Perhaps he learned of the disappearance of two of his strongest henchmen?

I should have come earlier! I wasted many days watching, waiting, doing nothing. Now I may be too late. Even now, Saki could have the Time Scepter, ready to use it to destroy my family beyond all repair.

I glance toward the throne room door. Perhaps that is, after all, the most likely place to find what I seek. Keeping to the shadows on the edge of the room, I make my swift and careful way across the vast hall to the door beyond.

Before I open it, I stand tall, throwing my shoulders back. My original plan was one of stealth – to steal the Scepter without being detected. But Saki's presence changes everything. If he has the Scepter now, I intend to meet him face to face.

With a dramatic shove, I throw the doors open and stride purposefully into the Shredder's great hall. As expected, he is seated on his eccentric throne at the far end of the room, looking for all the world like an evil overlord. In his hand is a long staff with a curious device at one end resembling a clawed hand clutching an hour glass. Clearly this is the Time Scepter.

On either side of the stone pathway leading to his throne, stand his mutant henchmen, now dwindled to three: the rhinoceros, the pig, and the fish.

All heads turn instantly in my direction as the doors slam open, dramatically announcing my arrival. Though he is wearing the Kuro Kabuto and most of his face is hidden, Saki eyes me with interest and his posture suggests he is pleased. No doubt he has been expecting me.

"Hamato Yoshi," he addresses me as I stop moving forward upon reaching the middle of the room. "How kind of you to join me. I was just contemplating our past." He waves the Scepter meaningfully.

"Saki, that is a dangerous object," my voice rings with warning. "It would be foolish to attempt -"

"I know very well how dangerous it is, Yoshi," Saki interrupts. He never did listen to my warnings. "I believe some of my men have already demonstrated a portion of its power. Tell me, where are your precious sons tonight?"

His mocking tone implies that he has full knowledge of my sons' plight, but I will not rise to the bait. I will not let him taunt me with my family's pain.

"This is between you and me, Saki."

"True. I merely mentioned them as an example of the devastating power this Scepter can wield over your life. And believe me, I will use it to take away so much more than your turtles' physical abilities."

Suddenly standing up, Saki gives an order to his henchmen. "Take him! But do not harm him."

Instantly the three mutants begin moving swiftly toward me. Oh, Saki, always you have favored size over skill when choosing your companions. Surely you do not believe that these buffoons will succeed in fulfilling your order?

FishFace holds back a fraction, and I can sense his apprehension. Clearly the memory of our last encounter is still fresh in his mind.

The rhinoceros, however, charges full force and reaches me first, swinging his enormous brass hammer toward my head. His movements are slow and clumsy, however, and it takes little effort to dodge out of his way. With a few well placed strikes, he is brought down, grunting at his unexpected fall.

I then charge the hesitating fish, and he joins the rhino on the floor in a matter of seconds. Turning to look for my final assailant, I notice he has disappeared from sight. Invisibility will not save him, though.

Closing my eyes, I utilize some of the techniques I have been trying to teach Donatello. My ears and whiskers twitch as I concentrate on the sounds and smells around me.

The air moves on my right, and there! One powerful hit brings the pitiful pig flashing back into sight, squealing and clutching his side. His hands go up in surrender, but I am in no mood for mercy tonight and he is soon sent crashing into the wall, where he crumples, motionless, to the floor.

Ignoring the groans of my fallen enemies, I snap my gaze menacingly up toward Oroku Saki. His eyes are smiling behind his mask as he sits leisurely on his throne, apparently enjoying the spectacle.

"Well done, Yoshi. I see you have not lost your touch."

I narrow my eyes at his mock praise, wondering what exactly he wants from me.

"Tell me, Yoshi, why did you come here tonight?"

My eyes flick briefly to the Time Scepter in his hand and he notices this.

"Surely you did not believe that you could succeed in taking this from me?" Saki waves the Scepter around, almost lazily, though I can see that all his senses are on high alert. "Or perhaps you did not expect me back so soon? Did you wish to steal from me while I was away? Perhaps you harbored some hope that this object could change your sons' fate?"

Still I do not answer him, though he is hitting close to the mark and he knows it. My whole body is tense, watching for my opportunity.

"Do not worry, Yoshi. Their fate will most certainly be changed. As will yours and mine!"

His movements instantly become swift and purposeful as he rises suddenly to his feet and lifts the Scepter above his head. At the same instant, having anticipated this motion, I am on him, reaching for the Scepter. My hands close on the cold metal staff, and for a moment we struggle for mastery of the object, but his strength is greater than mine and before I can succeed in wrenching it from his hands, he slams the end of it down onto the floor and we are both engulfed in a bright white light.


	37. Chapter 37: Progress

_Chapter 37: Progress_

 _Renet's POV_

I can't believe it! It's actually Michelangelo! All this time I've been stuck down here, alone with my own miserable thoughts, wondering why the Shredder hasn't destroyed history yet. I never expected any of the Turtle Warriors to actually find me, and now here's Michelangelo, crouched outside the bars of my cell, looking even more surprised to see _me_ , but real and solid and definitely not erased from history! I can't help calling out his name in my excitement.

"Michelangelo!"

His look of surprise has changed to excitement, but he doesn't say anything. Instead, he puts his finger to his lips, signaling me to be quiet. I clap my hands over my mouth, realizing that of course he's trying to be stealthy and not let the bad guys know he's here. I hope my thoughtless outburst didn't alert anyone.

A second later Donatello and Leonardo materialize out of the shadows and I can barely contain my squeal of delight and relief. I glance around behind them, looking for Raphael, but he doesn't appear.

Stepping closer, Leonardo takes in my dirty and disheveled appearance at a glance, then leans in toward me in order to speak in a whisper through the bars.

"Renet, how did you get here?"

"Well, that's a long story," I whisper back. "Basically I came to this time period by accident, lost the Time Scepter, and I got captured when I tried to get it back."

Leonardo's eyes widen a bit, but he doesn't ask me for any more details. Now's not the time for storytelling, after all. Instead, he turns toward Donatello. "Donnie, do you have your lock pick?"

"Sure, Leo," answers Donatello, in an equally low tone of voice. He begins rummaging around in the satchel he's carrying, though he continues to stare straight ahead as he does so, which strikes me as strange.

Finally, he extracts the lock pick and holds it out, still not looking at anyone directly, or making any move toward my cell door. "Here it is."

"Mikey'll have to do it," says Leonardo, not even reaching for the device. Wait, why are his hands all bandaged up?

Michelangelo snatches the lock pick from Donatello and flashes me a shining grin before setting to work, pressing his tongue out between his teeth in concentration. Why did Leo say Mikey would have to do it? I would assume Donatello would be more experienced at picking locks. I glance at each of the three in turn. Something feels off here. . .

After several seconds go by, it becomes obvious that Michelangelo doesn't really know what he's doing. Leo is tapping his foot impatiently, and I venture to voice my concerns, making sure to keep my voice down this time.

"Um, shouldn't we just have Donatello do it?"

"He can't," Leo states shortly.

"Why not?"

"Because I can't see it, that's why," answers Donatello shortly.

"What?" This doesn't really register in my brain.

"Look, recently, we have had a few, uh, rather devastating encounters with the Foot," Leo explains, looking embarrassed and clearly speaking with some difficulty. "They had a new weapon, of sorts, that left us with several, um, physical limitations."

What? He can't be serious. I stand there for a few seconds with my mouth hanging open, just staring at them. Donnie is standing there with his arms crossed, a frustrated look on his face. I feel a lump tighten in my stomach and I shake my head frantically as my brain tries to come to grips with this new information. No. This isn't supposed to happen. This is all wrong. Donatello the Inventor isn't supposed to be blind. He's supposed to astonish the world with his inventions and scientific discoveries.

Before I can clear my head enough to think of anything to say, the lock clicks and Michelangelo pulls the door open, cringing when the hinges let out a loud squeak.

"Thanks, Mikey," I say. Darting out of my prison, I snatch up my bag that is still lying on the floor a few meters away. Michelangelo flashes me a winning smile, but still remains quiet. These guys are taking the ninja stealth thing very seriously.

As Leonardo steps closer to me to talk again, I throw another glance at Donatello, who has been standing rather awkwardly in one spot this whole time, not looking at anything. This is wrong. This is not the course things are supposed to take. Something's been changed in history!

Which means this is all my fault, too.

"Donatello, I -" I'm not really sure what I'm about to say, but Leonardo interrupts me.

"There's more." His face is set in an expression of grim acceptance. "Donnie wasn't the only one affected. Mikey lost his voice, and I can't use my hands. . . at all." He says this rather rushed, as if he's trying to get it over with, and I just stare at him in shock for a couple moments.

Michelangelo. . . no wonder he didn't greet me with his usual enthusiasm.

This is so messed up! Leonardo the Leader is famous throughout history for his unmatched swordsmanship. And Michelangelo is the life and spirit of the team. He can't lose his voice! This is wrong.

The guilt is bearing even more heavily on me as I look apologetically at each of the turtles. They look like they're waiting for me to say something, but what can I say? _I'm sorry_ sounds so small and inadequate. A million questions race through my brain, but in the end one emerges above the others.

"What about Raphael?"

There's a small pause during which Leonardo's sad frown grows deeper before he says, "He can't walk. We left him in the Shellraiser on surveillance."

I shake my head in disbelief. Raphael the Warrior. His strength and fighting skills were feared by his enemies around the globe and even beyond.

"No," I say at last. "No, this is all wrong. This wasn't supposed to happen."

"Well, it happened," says Donatello in a clipped voice, clearly not wanting to prolong this conversation. "Now let's get that Time Scepter before the Shredder uses it to cause any more damage."

He's right. I shove all the horrible shock deep down and try to focus but my mind is still swirling with the enormity of my mistake.

"Right, back to the plan," Leonardo says. "Renet."

I quickly turn my attention back to Leonardo.

"We're here to get the Time Scepter. We can't let the Shredder use it. He'll be sure to -"

"Yeah, I know," I interrupt. "He'll use it to destroy you guys, and consequently, the future of the human race." I've been brooding over that a lot these last few days.

"Right," continues Leonardo. "Do you have any idea where it might be?"

I shake my head. "Sorry, Leonardo, but I was captured almost the instant I got inside the building. I didn't get a chance to see where the Scepter was."

A faint crackling sound comes from the headsets all three of the turtles are wearing. It sounds like someone is talking through them. Donatello responds to it, speaking into the microphone in a slightly louder whisper than what we've been using so far.

"Raph, we found Renet. She was in one of the dungeon cells." A pause. "Yeah, I think she can help us get the Scepter back." Another pause. "We'll let you know."

So Raphael is communicating remotely. I wonder what exactly Leonardo meant by "surveillance".

"Do you have any weapons?" Leonardo is speaking to me again.

"Oh! Yeah!" I pull open my bag and take out my energy knuckles, which I attach to my hands, and then slip my entropy dart gun over my right wrist. It's all I've got, but at least it's something. Finally, I swing my pack back onto my back and strike an expectant pose. I'm ready!

"Okay," continues Leo. "Mikey, get out those explosives and put a few of them on the supporting walls down here. This is the foundation of the building, so if this blows, the whole place will collapse with it. Donnie, you better go with him."

Michelangelo pulls out a sack and, grabbing Donatello's hand, leads him to the nearest wall. After the two of them stick a few small devices onto key locations on the stone walls, Leonardo motions for us all to move toward the stairs leading to the upper levels. I follow the others, still partly in shock, but more determined than ever to put right this terrible mess I've made.

At the foot of the stairs, we pause while Leonardo talks into his headset. "Raph, we're about to leave the dungeons. What do you see up there?"

I hear the muffled crackling noise again, but I can't make out what Raphael is saying. Leonardo fills me in, though.

"Raph says there are five Footbots patrolling the corridor up above. We won't be able to get past them all without them seeing us, so we'll just have to dispatch them quickly before they can alert anyone else. Got that?"

Donatello, Michelangelo, and I nod in unison.

"Good, then let's go."

As Leonardo leads the way up the stairs, I rub my energy knuckles together, increasing their charge. I'm taking care to be as quiet as I possibly can, but Leo casts me an annoyed glance and I know I'm nowhere near the absolute silence these ninjas are capable of.

Leonardo pauses at the top of the stairs, then nods for Mikey to open the door for him. A second later they burst out, instantly in battle mode. Donatello keeps his hand on Michelangelo's shell for guidance until the latter starts swinging his nunchucks and dashes off to engage one of the five robots that are converging swiftly on us.

On my left, Leonardo is fighting one of the bots, armed only with his fists, and on my right Donatello whips his bo from his back, and assumes an offensive stance as Leo calls out to him, "Two bots at three o'clock, Donnie!"

In an instant, Donatello has darted in the right direction and fells one of the enemies with a direct hit to the head.

I'm still standing by the doorway, somewhat stunned, because all of this has happened in less than two seconds, and I can barely comprehend how _fast_ they are.

Michelangelo and Leonardo have nearly defeated the three bots on their end of the room, but Donatello's next attack misses his second opponent as the bot darts away out of reach. Looking slightly bewildered, Donnie pauses, clearly listening to try to discover the bot's location, but no instructions come from Leo, who is busy and unaware of Donatello's danger. With all the noise of fighting around him, Donatello doesn't hear the robot coming up behind him, doesn't see the blade swinging toward his neck.

At last I come to my senses and with one swift motion I intervene, punching the robot square in the back as hard as I can, which, granted, isn't very hard, but it doesn't need to be. My energy knuckles do the trick and send a current of electricity shooting through the robot. It sparks and spasms in a satisfying way before going rigid and falling to the ground, smoking a little.

Eeep! I just saved one of the Turtle Warrior's lives! Of course, he wouldn't have been in danger in the first place if it hadn't been for me, but _still_!

At the first sound of impact, Donatello whirled around, expecting an attack. Hearing the confusing sounds of electric sparks instead, though, he asks, "Renet? Was that you?"

"Yup!" I say, brimming with excited pride. "I took that bot down with my energy knuckles!"

"Wow, thanks!"

"No problem."

The next second Michelangelo and Leonardo join us and Leo is already giving out more instructions.

"Raph says the rest of the way to Stockman's lab is clear. Let's move before anyone notices this." He gestures to the broken Footbots all over the floor.

As silently as possible, we sneak along a few more corridors, then at last through a door that isn't locked. I stare in amazement as we enter the vast laboratory. There are glass fronted cages along several of the walls, mercifully empty. A gigantic cylinder full of a shiny green fluid takes up most of the middle of the room, which is otherwise covered in various desks, work tables, and machines.

After a few moments of carefully sneaking around the room, we determine that there is no one here. We breathe a collective sigh of relief before Leonardo deems it safe to speak, though still in a whisper.

"Okay, guys, I figure this is the most likely place for the Time Scepter to be hidden. Everyone split up and search the room."

Michelangelo is instantly off, exercising a few unnecessarily flamboyant moves on his way, after which he glances back at me with a smile, to see if I noticed. I can't help giggling at his antics.

Leonardo is already on the other side of the room – they are so _fast_! - and I decide to start searching behind some ancient computer machines nearby, leaving Donatello standing rather forlornly alone, holding his bo and looking very unsure of himself.

It might take a while to find the Scepter here. There is clutter everywhere! Random bottles of who-knows-what are tossed haphazardly aside with unfinished devices that do potentially anything. And everywhere trash! Bits of moldy food and other, less identifiable objects that I'd rather not touch. Gross!

Suddenly Donatello's voice calls out, quiet, but clearly audible. "Raph says Stockman is heading this way!"

I try to stand up quickly, but bump my head on the underside of the table I was searching under. Ouch! By the time I make it to my feet, Michelangelo is already bounding toward the open door, ready to head off the intruder.

"What izzzz thizzzz?! Turtlezzz! In my lab! How did you get in?!"

I stop for a moment to stare, revolted, as the most disgusting creature I've ever seen flies into the room. His massive, insect eyes seem to be staring in all directions at once and his twitching mandibles are dripping with some foul liquid. I quickly duck behind the table again. I really, really don't want him to come any closer to me.

I needn't worry though. Michelangelo is already on him, grabbing one of his legs to pull him forcefully down within reach of his nunchucks. As I watch the horrible fly try to release himself from the much heavier turtle while simultaneously attempting, and failing, to avoid being hit by his weapons, I suddenly hear my name being called.

"Renet!"

I spin around to see Leonardo trying to get my attention from across the room. "Mikey's got that taken care of! Keep searching!"

Oh right. Time Scepter.

Ignoring the skirmish going on near the door, I turn my attention once more to rummaging through the fly's nasty messes. After a few moments of fruitless searching, I hear a loud thump and turn to see the mutant fly slumped on the floor, apparently unconscious, while Mikey performs a lively victory dance over him. He catches my eye and winks in a showing-off kind of way, and I smirk back at him. Someday I hope we can hang out under circumstances where the fate of the world is not at stake.

At last Leonardo determines that we have searched the lab thoroughly enough. "It's not here, guys. We'll have to check somewhere else. Raph," he starts talking into his headset again. "The Scepter's not in the lab. We're going to head toward the throne room. Is there any danger in the corridors?"

I wait patiently while Raphael's voice buzzes into the turtles' headphones before Leo fills me in again. "Raph says none of the mutants are in sight, but there are a few more Footbots along the way, so we'll have to watch out. I don't think they've discovered that we're here yet."

More stone corridors. We manage to avoid all the Footbots without being seen. Then we're creeping through a large entrance hall and toward the open door into Shredder's throne room. My heart is pounding in my chest now as all the scariest parts of my childhood imagination begin to flit through my brain.

I can hear voices coming from inside the room, but they sound sort of echo-y and it's difficult to make out what they're saying. Leonardo, who is leading the group, reaches the doors first and peers cautiously inside. I hear him gasp audibly, then he rushes suddenly through the door, the rest of us following quickly behind.

I enter the vast throne room just in time to see a flash of white light consume the large, frightening form of the Shredder, accompanied by the unmistakable shape of Master Splinter.

Leonardo calls out, "Sensei!" But it's too late. They are already gone.


	38. Chapter 38: Sacrifice

_Chapter 38: Sacrifice_

 _Splinter's POV_

As the brightness clears and my vision is restored, I find myself standing in the sunlight on a lawn of soft, trimmed grass. The smell of cherry blossoms fills my senses and I notice several trees, gracefully adorned in pink, dotted here and there about the grass. Soft petals fall to the ground as the breeze ruffles the branches. A winding stone path makes its way through the trees and, looking up, I see a familiar city skyline forming the backdrop of this picturesque scene.

I know immediately where I am. This park was a favorite haunt of mine and Shen's, a place we would often come to be alone.

I am not alone, however, for Saki is still beside me. In that one moment of surprise at being thus transported, I unintentionally loosen my grip on the Time Scepter, and Saki, taking advantage of my distraction, wrenches it from my hand.

I turn to face him, my senses instantly on full alert.

"Saki, why have you brought us here?"

"Have you not guessed?" There is a small note of triumph in his voice, as though he sees his victory over me at last within his sights. "There is only one thing I have wanted all these years, Yoshi. The one thing you stole from me."

"I stole nothing, Saki! Shen was never yours."

"She would have been, if you had not been in the way!" There is a manic gleam in his eyes now as this age old argument once again stirs up his hatred toward me. "And now, she will be!"

"What are you going to do, Saki?"

Discharging his blades from his gauntlet, he says dramatically, "I'm going to kill you."

But he isn't looking at me. With a sweep of his bladed arm, he indicates a distant spot, further along the path. Looking in that direction, I notice two people sitting on a park bench at the side of the path, beneath a cherry tree. Their backs are to us and they are far enough away not to have noticed our arrival or heard our conversation. Yet, even from this distance, I recognize them instantly. Tang Shen and myself.

My heart leaps into my throat at the sight of my beloved wife, lost to me so long ago. She is leaning her head against the shoulder of my younger, human self, and I have one arm wrapped around her, her sleek black hair cascading over my sleeve.

Saki wishes to murder my younger self, eliminating his competition.

Turning back to my enemy, I feel the anger rising inside me. Always he has evoked these rash and negative emotions in me, but I have become better at concealing them, and it is with a calm voice that I reply, "Surely you do not believe that murdering her husband will endear Shen to you?"

Saki does not have such self-control, and he growls angrily at me. Pointing to the couple on the bench, he snarls, "You are not her husband yet! She has not yet made that decision. And she will never know that it was I who killed you. My face is concealed. She will not recognize me, and when you are dead, who will be there to comfort her? Your brother, her dearest friend – me!"

"You know I will not let that happen," I say, moving in front of him confidently, as though he were not protected by armor and sporting blades on one hand and a large, heavy Scepter in the other.

He sneers at me. "Will you stop me, Yoshi? Think! If I kill you, and Shen marries me, she will live a long and happy life. But if you stop me, history will continue on its normal path and you know what happens to her then! Will you allow her to die in order to save your own wretched life, as a sewer rat? Is that the honor of the Hamato clan?"

His appeal to my honor through his skewed logic draws out my anger and I snarl at him, "I was not the one who killed her, Saki! Always you forget this!"

"If you stop me now, you will be choosing to condemn her to death, and it will be _your_ fault!"

The manic triumph in his eyes is stronger than ever as Saki lunges toward me, intent on shoving me aside on his path to his victim. I am too quick for him, though, and blocking his attack, I immediately retaliate, distracting him in combat. In the broad daylight, there are no concealing shadows for me to use to my advantage, and I must rely on my superior speed and agility to make up for his physical strength and the deadly arms he wields.

Darting about him, avoiding his blows, I try once more to speak reason into his crazed mind. "Saki, if you kill me, then Miwa will never be born. _Karai_ will never exist!"

"It doesn't matter!" Saki cries, coldly. "Shen and I will have children of our own, and I won't need your little brat!"

My anger flares up again at this slight to my daughter, the daughter whom Saki had professed to love. Blinded by his own desire, he refuses to see all the things that will be lost.

Tired of our pointless battle, Saki puts his superior size and strength to use and pushes past me, toward the couple sitting innocently on the bench not far away. I hesitate for a second, still somewhat in shock, before following him. I must stop him!

It only takes a few seconds for my younger self to notice the sounds of the Shredder's approach, and I see him leap to his feet, bringing Shen with him, and turn to face the unknown attacker. I see a look of surprise cross his – my – face as he sees a man in full armor, wielding a bladed gauntlet, bearing down on him, pursued by a giant rat. Instinctively, he shoves Shen behind him and assumes a defensive battle stance.

I know however, that he stands little chance. Although, even then, I was a highly skilled ninja, Saki now has many more years of experience. And I know that I never came to this park armed. I had no enemies. Why should I fear an attack while spending the day with my beloved in the park? I have no doubt that my younger self will die if I do not intervene.

I reach them just as the Shredder raises his blades to strike. Using all the speed I possess, I knock into him from the side, deterring his attack. He wheels around, shouting angrily.

"You! I told you to stay out of this!"

Once more I am forced to defend myself as his weapons are turned against me. I have succeeded, at least for the moment, in hindering his purpose. As I dodge each successive blow, I can hear the young couple speaking nearby.

"Yoshi, who are they?" Shen's beautiful voice penetrates through years of memories into my guarded heart, reopening old wounds. Always a brave woman, she sounds more curious than afraid.

"I do not know," I hear my own voice reply, just as one of my shuriken succeeds in scraping the flesh from Shredder's exposed bicep. He growls in anger and strikes more fiercely. I feel a slash of pain as his blade at last finds a mark and slices a long gash in my arm. I refuse to allow this wound to hamper my fighting, however. Too much is at stake here, and I close my mind to the pain.

"Yoshi, you have to help him!" comes Shen's voice again.

"Which one?"

"The rat, of course!"

"The rat? Shen, he is some kind of monster."

"No! He's trying to save you! It was the other who attacked you."

For a few moments, my younger self hesitates, during which time the Shredder presses his advantage, succeeding in landing a few more minor blows. Then all at once, Saki is forced to turn away to meet his new assailant, for he is now being attacked on both sides by, well, me. Shen watches anxiously from a safe distance.

As my younger self lands a powerful kick to the Shredder's abdomen, which succeeds in knocking his breath away despite his armored protection, I swoop in and snatch the Time Scepter from Saki's momentarily slackened grip.

Saki's eyes flash with anger and for a moment I consider using the Scepter to bring us back to our present time, but I cannot risk bringing my younger self along by accident. Instead, I twirl the Scepter like a bo. With a manic growl, Saki lunges at me, momentarily disregarding my younger self in his blind anger. As I dart skillfully out of reach of Shredder's attacks, the human Yoshi behind him takes advantage of his distraction and lands a few blows, aiming for the places left unprotected by armor. As a painful kick to Saki's side doubles him up, I twirl my weapon and strike. A strong blow to the head with the heavily weighted end of the Scepter leaves him lying unconscious on the ground between us.

Shen quickly runs to stand beside my younger self and grasps his arm, looking down curiously at the form of the Shredder lying in the grass. Then she looks up at me, and my heart swells as her handsome, dark eyes meet mine after so many years. She always had a remarkable way of looking directly into one's soul, and as she holds my gaze steadily for a few moments, I see a flash of something cross her face, something akin to recognition. She does not, of course, know that I am her Yoshi, but an understanding seems to pass between us.

"Who are you?" she asks, and her tone betrays more wonder than curiosity.

"It doesn't matter," I reply quietly. I should go. But I remain frozen in place, unwilling to leave Tang Shen's presence.

I glance up into my own human face and find wariness there. Always, in my younger days, was I skeptical of the strange and unexplained, even when it was staring me in the face. That was before my entire life became strange and unexplained.

So it is no surprise to me that when Shen asks, "Are you yokai?" that my younger self scoffs at her.

"Shen, don't be ridiculous!"

But Tang Shen's mind was more open to the supernatural, to new possibilities, and ignoring him, she turns her gaze intently on me once more. "Do you have a message for us?"

Time seems to grind to a halt as I look into her imploring face. I long, more than anything, to reach out and hold her, draw her close and never let her go. But I see my own human arm wrapped around her slender shoulders, encircling her protectively, and I realize I am already holding her. I already had this moment.

But as I take in the familiar curve of her jaw, the sweep of her eyelashes, the contour of her lips, I am struck suddenly with the image of flames surrounding her, of the red blood soaking her shirt, of her deep, intelligent eyes growing dim as her body falls limp in my arms.

I stopped Saki's plot. History is back on course. It will all happen again.

No! I must warn them. I could tell my younger self not to let the fight with Saki get out of hand. I could tell Shen not to go into the burning dojo after us. I could change history right now, and have the life I was robbed of. A life with Shen, and Miwa, and perhaps other children.

I open my mouth to give the words of warning, but at the thought of other children, the faces of my sons suddenly flash through my mind. Leonardo, ambitious and determined. Raphael, aggressive and loyal. Donatello, intelligent and resourceful. Michelangelo, energetic and joyful. If I save Shen now, they will never exist.

Perhaps that would be better, says a small voice in the back of my mind, as I ponder all the terrible things they have recently endured. I see Raphael, bound forever in his chair, and Donatello, groping in the dark. Would it not be better for them to have never experienced these things?

As soon as the thought enters my mind I am instantly ashamed of it. They are my sons! From the very beginning their lives have been difficult. Mutated and cast out of society, forced to live in isolation in the sewers – wouldn't many people say that nonexistence would be preferable to such a life? And yet they have known joy, and purpose, and _love_. For sixteen years my home has been filled with love, and that has not changed. Circumstances may be hard, harder than ever, but who am I to say whether someone else's life is not worth living? Does not every child deserve a chance?

As I look again at the happy couple standing before me, I think about the life I could have had, the life I always thought I wanted, with Shen and Miwa. It occurs to me that that life would be hollow, empty, without my sons in it. I realize that I cannot bear to live out my years never knowing Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo.

At last, I open my mouth again to answer Shen's question. "I have no message for you except this: Your union will bring much happiness. Cherish your time together."

Looking away from their surprised and pleased faces, I notice the Shredder beginning to stir on the ground in front of me. Quickly, I raise the Time Scepter and, with one last longing look at my beloved, I grab hold of Saki, and slam the Scepter into the earth as I saw him do, thinking of our present time. A flash of white light, and the face of Shen is lost to me forever.


	39. Chapter 39: Chaos

**AN: You guys, I have over three hundred reviews! This means so much to me, because I never ever thought I'd write a story that people would like this much. So thank you, thank you all from the bottom of my heart! You've made this author very happy. :D And now, enjoy the Showdown!**

 **.o0o.**

 _Chapter 39: Chaos_

 _Mikey's POV_

We rush into the big, scary throne room just in time to see the Shredder and Master Splinter disappear in a flash of bright light. I hear Leo scream, "SENSEI!" but Sensei doesn't hear. He's already gone to – wherever the Scepter just took him.

What was Splinter doing here, anyway? And what was _the Shredder_ doing here? He's supposed to be in Japan! And now he has the Time Scepter! And where did they just go? I'm so confused!

We've all stopped, sort of frozen and stunned, and Donnie, who's even more puzzled than I am, cries out, "Leo, what's going on?!"

"It's Sensei! He was just here, with the Shredder, but Shredder had the Time Scepter and he used it and they disappeared. Now they could be anywhere!"

"Or any _when_ ," adds Renet, as Donnie's face starts to look as surprised as the rest of ours.

I guess we kind of failed our mission. After all, the whole point was to get the Time Scepter back before Shredder got it, but obviously that didn't happen. Leo was worried that Shredder would use it to change the past and make us never exist or something like that. I'm not sure how it works, but I would really like to _not_ never exist! I quickly glance down at myself to make sure I'm not starting to fade or something. Nope, still solid. We're okay so far.

I catch Leo's attention and sign, _What do we do?_

He looks around the room for a second and I can see he's making up a change of plans. Finally he says, "We leave before those guys become a threat." He nods his head in the direction of the Shredder's mutant henchmen lying sort of unconscious on the floor.

There's only three of them left, but they're starting to move, and Rocksteady is already trying to sit up. I really don't want to fight him right now. I would only feel confident enough to take on that giant, super strong rhino if we had Raph with us. And a Donnie who could see. And, okay, Leo's katanas would be helpful, too. I know from experience that punching that dude in the face does _not_ hurt him. Leo's right. Time to go!

But just as we're turning around, hoping to leave before we're spotted, the bright light flashes again. Sensei! You're back! Oh, and Shredder, too. But Shredder looks really out of it, so I don't think he's too dangerous at the moment.

"Sensei!" Leo calls again, this time sounding much happier.

Master Splinter looks up at all of us, totally shocked to see us here. Oops! Forgot he wasn't supposed to know about that. Um, surprise?

Leo and I start running toward Sensei, who is holding the Time Scepter. He must have gotten it away from the Shredder. Yay! Maybe our mission will be a success after all! But before we reach him, Donnie calls out, rather desperately, "Leo!"

We turn around and see him still standing where we left him, next to Renet, and he's got this totally bewildered look on his face.

"Shredder and Splinter are back, but Shredder looks unconscious," Leo rattles off quickly before turning and moving back toward Sensei.

Donnie lets out a frustrated huff as he just stands there, holding his bo, trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Sorry, D, wish I could explain it better, but I'm pretty lost myself.

I turn to look at Sensei again, who's already reached Leo. He's lost the surprised look he had when he first saw us here. He's pretty awesome at facing strange circumstances and just changing his plans and rolling with it. We'll probably get chewed out about this whole going-out-on-a-dangerous-mission-behind-his-back thing later, but that'll be fine as long as we all make it back home safe.

"Come, my sons! We must leave while we have the chance!" Splinter and Leo are already running back toward Donnie and Renet, who are still near the big triangle doorway, and I quickly start to follow them.

All of a sudden I feel something grab my ankle and WHAM! I'm suddenly sprawled face down on the floor. What the - ? I look behind me, but I don't see anything that could've tripped me.

I'm starting to get up when I hear Sensei call, "Michelangelo!" and then Leo says, "I'll get him!"

Now Leo's running back towards me and I'm already up on my hands and knees when I definitely feel something kick me in the side, sending me right back down to the floor, though I still can't see anyone. Aw, snap! Bebop! He must be up and invisible!

I try to warn Leo, but I guess my desperate face and frantic arm wavings aren't clear enough, and the next second his legs are swept out from under him by our invisible foe and he lands flat on his shell, looking super surprised. Actually, that whole thing was kind of funny, because he looked like he just had a major wipe-out all by himself, and Leo _never_ does that!

In another instant, both Leo and I are on our feet again, trying to figure out where Bebop is. I can see the others by the door, ready to leave. Sensei has grabbed Donnie's hand like he's about to lead him out and Renet is watching us with a really baffled look on her pretty face.

Just then I hear Bebop right behind me and I whirl around and swing my chucks at him. They hit something solid and I hear a squeal from him. Yes! Bulls eye! Leo heard him, too, and joins in, and now that ugly pig is getting a proper beat down from both of us. Finally, with a swipe from one of my nunchucks, his invisibility stops working and we see him high tailing it to the other side of the room. I'm about to cheer in victory, but then I take a look around.

While Leo and I were busy fighting, it seems the whole place decided to come alive. Rocksteady has blocked the doorway and is fighting with Sensei, who looks like he's trying to protect Donnie. FishFace is trying to sneak up behind them, and even Shredder is on his feet now, looking super menacing with that furious scowl on his face. Crap, this is bad!

I'm trying to decide what to do first when suddenly Renet cries, "Michelangelo, duck!" and then she fires some sort of weapon from her wrist and I feel the bullet thing go right over my head because I ducked in time, and it flies toward the Shredder. Too bad he ducked, too, and it only hits the wall behind him.

"Renet, what was that?" calls Leo from nearby. Apparently he decided to engage FishFace in a fight. I definitely have a better chance against FishFace than Rocksteady or Shredder, so I join in with a whack from one of my chucks on his slimy fish head.

"Entropy dart," answers Renet with a cute little satisfied smile like she doesn't even care that she missed the Shredder.

I can see why. The place where the dart hit the wall is starting to crack, bigger and bigger cracks, and suddenly whole bricks are randomly falling out onto the floor, like they just decided they didn't want to be part of the wall any more.

"What does an entropy dart do?" asks Leo as he punches FishFace's face in and sends him sprawling on the floor. Yes! One down. I just hope he stays down.

"It increases the entropy in the area," smiles Renet. "You know, decreases order and predictability. Basically, causes chaos."

As soon as she says that, the glass on one side of the floor suddenly bursts open and water comes leaping out of it like gravity's taken a vacation. I grin at the awesomeness of it. Chaos is right!

Donnie, who had been attempting to join in Sensei's fight with Rocksteady, suddenly stops and says in an annoyed voice, "That's not what entropy means! Entropy is simply the thermal energy in a system that is unavailable for -"

His sciency explanation is cut off by a rumbling explosion somewhere beneath our feet. The whole building rocks like we're in an earthquake. I think one of our bombs might have gone off too soon.

"Seriously, Donnie?" cries Leo. "You're going to argue about the futuristic technology _now_?"

"Well, it doesn't make _sense_!"

Before the argument can go any further, a whole flood of Footbots suddenly swarms into the room. I guess the explosion downstairs let them know we were here. All of a sudden we're all super busy fighting them, too, especially since most of them are between us and the door.

Donnie's doing alright knocking out robots with his bo as Leo sticks close to him and shouts hints about where they are.

"Eleven o'clock, Donnie! Five feet away!"

It doesn't help, though, that the robots seem to be taking this whole chaos thing seriously and are jumping about in all sorts of random directions, even running up the walls, which I totally didn't know they could do.

"Eeee! Guys, did you see that? I hit one!"

I give Renet a grin to show her I totally saw her kicking butt, then I have to twirl around in a different direction to avoid a water tornado that comes spinning through.

"Gah! Who dumped water on me?"

"No one, Donnie, it's swirling around in the air!"

"What? What the heck is going on?"

Whatever it is, it's awesome! Whoa, more Footbots! I release my kusarigama and twirl it around, taking out three of them all at once, then without stopping to think, I swing it up and knock a robot right out of the air as he was about to land on Donnie's head. I don't even know where he came from! The ceiling, maybe?

"Ha! Take that!" cries Renet in excitement, as she lands her cool electric knuckle thingies right into a robot's face. I'm almost too busy watching him spark like a firework to notice the one coming at her from behind, but one swing from my kusarigama chain and he joins Sparky on the floor.

Renet turns around just in time to see me do it, too, and she gasps, "Thanks, Mikey!" I grin super wide at her, feeling all fuzzy inside.

"Mikey, look out!" Whoa! Leo kicked that one away from my head just in time! Right. Battle. Focus, Mikey! I take down two more Footbots with my chucks.

"Twelve o'clock, Donnie!"

"Ha! Got 'im!"

Suddenly Sensei rushes past me, heading directly for the Shredder. Shred Head looks like he was going to go after Leo as he growls out a threat I don't quite hear, but Sensei is stopping him and I'm kinda more interested in the shards of glass and chunks of brick that have started swirling in circles through the air all around us. Apparently it's not just the water that decided gravity isn't a thing anymore.

"Renet, duck!"

"Whoa, thanks, Leo!"

A couple Footbots are jumping around on the flying bricks like they're solid ground. Dude, I wonder if I can fly through the air like that!

I'm just about to try when the whole world turns upside down as I suddenly find myself lifted into the air by a strong grip on my ankle. I'm hanging head down, but I twist around, trying to see who's got me. Oh, hey there, Rocksteady! Where did you come from? Seriously, either the two-ton rhino suddenly learned stealth, or I really wasn't paying attention, because I totally didn't hear him come up behind me. Or maybe it's something to do with the chaos dart Renet shot.

Either way, this is definitely not the best position to be in. I squirm and wiggle and hit his gigantic fist with my chucks, but they just bounce off without even hurting him.

He chuckles. "You not get away from me, malenkaya cherepashka!"

I don't know what that means, but I'm definitely scared now! I hear a cry from Donnie like something just hit him and I twist around, but I can't see what's happening over there. All their voices seem to be talking at once.

"Leonardo, behind you!"

"Donnie, watch out, there are bricks flying through the air!"

"I see him, Sensei!"

"What? Which direction?"

"That one's got an ax!"

"Every direction!"

Then Rocksteady starts shaking me really hard, making all the stuff I have stashed in my belt come falling out. A couple of smoke bombs go flying in different directions and break as they hit the floor across the room. The whirling purple smoke just adds to the confusion, but I definitely see Leo take advantage of it and hide from one of Shredder's attacks.

"That one's not down, Donnie! Hit him again!"

"Sensei, a little help!"

Another cry of pain from Donnie, and Rocksteady won't stop shaking me! Leo! I could use some help over here!

I yelp in a silent way as I see my portable Kraang portal fall out, too, and I try to grab at it, but all I manage to do is hit it a few feet into the air where it suddenly opens up, making a glowing pink triangle appear. Yikes! I didn't mean to do that!

"Watch out, Donnie! Two more bots on your left!" Renet's voice is sounding way less confident, and quite a bit more panicky. But at least I know Donnie's still standing. I need to help them!

Whoa! There's Rocksteady's other hand, way too close to my face!

"And now, turtle, I crush your head like blueberry!"

But he doesn't, 'cause at that moment the whole floor tips up, and is suddenly slanting downwards, making everyone in the room stumble and slide. Except Sensei, I notice, because he's just quick on his feet like that. Anyway, Rocksteady definitely falls over and he drops me, sending me flying into – Aaaa! The Kraang portal! No! I have no idea where that leads!

Too late. There's pink light all around me for a second and then I'm through. My feet hit solid ground and I stand up quickly, looking around.

I'm on the other side of the room.

Apparently the floor is back to being flat again and I'm standing close to the Shredder's throne. There's some of the purple smoke from one of the smoke pellets still swirling around over here, but thankfully Rocksteady is way over by the door where I left him. My family's voices are a bit further away, too, but I still hear them as they're fighting.

"Duck, Donnie! More bricks!"

"Argh, they're everywhere!"

"Where's Mikey?"

"Leo, we need help!"

"Rocksteady's heading this way!"

A million things seem to be all happening at once! Renet and Donnie are standing back to back, trying to fight off the Footbots. They are definitely having trouble, but Leo's rushing over to help them. Sensei is still battling Shredder, and all around us the chunks of wall and floor and water and glass are flying around in random directions. I don't see Bebop, so he must be hiding, invisible, somewhere. How are we gonna get out? There's still a giant rhino in our way. There's a pink portal open by him, and one just behind me. I went through that one and came out this one. Weird. . .

Forgetting everything else for a moment, I stick my hand through the portal again, just to see what would happen. It disappears into the pink glow, but on the other end of the room I see my own hand and arm sticking out of the triangle in the air. I wiggle my fingers, and the fingers across the room wiggle, too. Haha! That's freaking awesome!

A sudden cry from Leo makes me remember what's going on.

"What happened, Leo?"

"Nothing, just a bruised shoulder."

Ouch! One of those flying bricks hits my shell from behind. I need to pay attention.

"Oh no! My energy knuckles are running out of power!"

The whole building shakes again with another loud _boom_ from below, and I hear Renet cry out as she stumbles and falls. I quickly pull my arm back through the portal. This is not a time to goof around! We're all gonna die if we stay here much longer!

Leo's voice echoes through my headset as he shouts angrily into his mic, "Raph! Quit setting off the bombs! We're still inside the building!"

"It wasn't me, Leo!" Raph sounds equally mad, but that's kinda normal for him. "Something weird's going on. The whole place looks like it's coming apart!"

"Drive the Shellraiser around to the front. We're getting out of here now!"

Yeah, I'd love to join you in the escape, Leo, but the Shredder is coming right towards me! Aaa! Help!

Sensei and Leo just took down the last of the Footbots, but now they are both busy trying to get Rocksteady out of the way so they can get Donnie and Renet through the door, and they don't notice that the Shredder's about to slice me up. I look behind me, but I'm backed up against the throne with nowhere to run! I'm freaking out!

"You will not escape me so easily! I will have my revenge!"

Shredder is super mad and he's almost on me! Aaa! What do I do? Oh the portal! A quick somersault through the portal and I'm suddenly back near the door and nearly running into Donnie. Hey, D! Whoa! I have to duck super quick because Donnie is twirling his bo around in pretty much every direction at once and he nearly smacks me in the head. I guess since everyone else is too busy to shout directions to him, he's decided to just swing everywhere and hope he hits something.

I dodge his staff again, wishing I could just shout out that it's me and not a bad guy. Donnie looks totally freaked out. Heck, I don't even know what's going on, and I can _see_ it! I'm definitely not going to be able to get close enough to Donnie to touch him while he's swinging his weapon around like that, so I take a step back from him just as Shredder suddenly leaps through the portal after me. Aaaa!

My chucks are out again in a second, but before I can do anything, a huge chunk of stone suddenly hurtles through the air and slams right into the side of Shredder's head just as he was coming through the portal. He staggers sideways a couple of steps, right into Donnie's twirling bo. The next second he's on the ground, out cold. Yes! What are the odds of that?

Donnie stops for a second, as he realizes he just hit someone. He's breathing hard and looking terrified. I leap to his side instantly. He senses me and raises his bo in defense, but I grab his hand and he stops when he realizes it's me.

 _Dude! You just took out the Shredder!_ I try to pour my excitement into my signs.

"What?" Donnie is totally shocked.

Another rumble from below us and all of a sudden half the floor on the other end of the room caves in, crumbling and tumbling around with the rest of the randomness. We need to get out now! But Rocksteady is still blocking the doorway.

Sensei shoves the Time Scepter into Renet's hands and says, "If you see an opportunity to get through the door, go, and take Donatello with you!"

Renet just nods at Sensei and takes one of Donnie's's hands, ready to make a break for it as soon as she can. I frown at that. I wish she would take one of _my_ hands. I'll have to think about that later, though. Right now we have a massive rhino to get past. I'm just about to join Splinter against Rocksteady, when I once again find my face smashed into the floor. Well, what's left of the floor.

This time Bebop doesn't even try to hide the fact that it was him, and he calls out loudly, "Yeah, that was for hitting me earlier!" and he hits me on the back of the shell where it doesn't really hurt. It only makes me mad that he's making it harder for me to leave, just when the whole building is starting to collapse. I know right where he is, though, and I hit him hard with the handle of my chucks. As expected, he flashes back into sight and I swing a hard kick at his chest, sending him spinning into a huge pile of water that used to be in the floor, but thought it would see what it's like to be a wall instead.

I don't even bother to see what happens to Bebop. Instead I turn back to the door where I see that Sensei has finally taken down Rocksteady. Renet and Donatello are already through the door and into the entrance hall beyond and Leo and Sensei are looking around for me.

I start running toward them as Splinter calls, "Michelangelo!" and motions for me to follow them.

One more giant explosion, and now the ceiling is raining down on us! It takes all my best ninja moves to avoid getting hit from the falling stones, especially since not all of them are falling _down,_ but I dive through the doorway right behind Leo and Sensei. We run as fast as we can across the entrance hall and out the big double doors onto the street just as the whole rest of the building joins the chaos and collapses in on itself.

.o0o.

 _Raph's POV_

Surveillance bites. It's the stupidest, most boring job in the world. I don't know how Donnie could stand doing it!

I groan loudly as I look at all the screens in front of me. There are actually only four hallways in Shredder's lair that have cameras in them, and all I can see is empty walls and floors. Except in the one spot where my brothers defeated those few Footbots. No one's found the busted up robots lying on the floor yet, so they're still there. That was the _only_ somewhat interesting part of this whole mission – watching that mini battle. But it only lasted like thirty seconds, and even then I would much rather have been _in_ the action, not watching it. All the rest of the time I've been dying of boredom, watching empty hallways. Why couldn't the Shredder have cameras in the rooms where stuff actually _happens_? I saw my brothers and Renet move toward the throne room, but I have no idea what's going on in there.

I lean back in my chair and sigh loudly. Seriously, this is the most pointless -

 _BOOM!_

The whole vehicle shivers with the rumbling force of that explosion. What was _that_? In a panic I look down at the device in my hands, which I'm supposed to use to set off the bombs once Leo gives me the signal. I didn't accidentally explode one, did I?

There are little green blinking dots on the screen of the device, each showing a bomb that's ready to go off. One of them has turned red. What does that mean? Did it explode? I'm pretty sure I didn't do that. Crap, I'm no good at this. Donnie would know what to do.

I glance back up at the screens showing the empty hallways. Except they're not empty anymore. There are several Footbots running along them, going in different directions, and in the one nearest the throne room, there are a bunch of falling bricks, like the explosion made the walls and ceiling start to crumble. I better check to make sure the guys are okay.

I'm just about to tune into my headset when suddenly the door of the Shellraiser is pulled forcefully back. I whip my head around and see a bunch of Footbots trying to force their way inside! There's at least five or six of them. Finally! A bit of action!

I quickly snap open the clamps holding the wheels of my chair in place and then spin it around to meet the robots head on. Pulling a few shuriken out of one of the side pockets, I let them fly. The first two bots go down with Hamato stars stuck in their foreheads. I smirk.

"Anybody else want a taste of that?" I sneer at the robots, pulling out my sai and spinning them threateningly. If they had been actual people they might have decided to back down. But the Shredder's mechanical army has never been known for its smarts.

Three of them charge me and I can't help grinning. I've been itching for this all night! A sai in the chest takes the first one down almost instantly. Ha! A few more well-aimed jabs and the second one is lying crumpled on the floor.

The last one got behind me, though, and I can't maneuver this stupid chair fast enough to face him. Whoa! I duck my head down just in time to avoid a blow from the bot's blade. Seeing my chance, I grab hold of its arm and pull hard, flipping the bot up and over my shoulder onto the floor in front of me. If I could just give it a well-aimed kick to the head, I could put it out of commission, but instead I have to wait for it to stagger to its feet and come within reach of my sai. I really don't want to throw them right now and risk them ending up somewhere I can't reach.

Finally the bot charges me, and as it trips over its fallen buddy, its head connects directly with my sai. The twitches and sparks are very satisfying as it crumples into a heap.

See, Leo! I _can_ still fight!

I spin my chair back around, trying to bring it back in place in front of the screens, but there's a busted Footbot lying right in my way. I just stare at the stupid problem for a few seconds before leaning over and awkwardly trying to pull the thing out of the way. I manage to move it a few feet when suddenly the Shellraiser rocks violently as another loud _BOOM_ echoes through the alleyway.

I quickly look back up at the surveillance screens and see large chunks of the walls and floors just crumbling and falling away. One of the cameras suddenly goes dark with a loud crackling sound.

I try to move to get a closer look, but the unexpected jerking of the vehicle made the Footbot slide back where it was, directly in my way. _Seriously_? Growling with frustration, I lean over to pull it out of the way again, wishing I could just give it a good kick and leap over it. In that undignified moment I suddenly hear Leo's voice shouting through my headset.

"Raph! Quit setting off the bombs! We're still inside the building!"

"It wasn't me, Leo!" I yell back at him, still annoyed at the stupid bot in my path. I know it definitely wasn't me because I left the device over by the screens, which I _can't reach_ right now. "Something weird's going on. The whole place looks like it's coming apart!"

"Drive the Shellraiser around to the front. We're getting out of here now!"

I don't bother to tell him that I'm having a bit of an issue getting back to the driver's position. I would definitely never hear the end of that.

At last I manage to grab hold of the Footbot's arm and heave it up, tossing it forcefully toward the back of the vehicle, where it crumples into a sparking mess. Finally! I wheel over to the driver's spot, snap the clamps back into place, and get ready to drive.

It takes me a minute to remember how to switch the screens so that they're acting like windows again, showing me what's outside the vehicle instead of what's inside Shredder's lair, but at last I find the switch and all the screens show me the alleyway outside.

Revving up the engine, I take a sharp turn out of the alley and screech around the back of Shredder's creepy building.

Whoa! Now that I can see the outside of it, I can see that the whole place really is falling apart. Half the ceiling is caved in, the windows are all smashed, and the walls are starting to collapse.

I wheel the Shellraiser as fast it can go around to the front of the building just as another explosion makes half the building fall in on itself. What the heck is going on in there? I start to freak out, hoping that my brothers aren't in trouble.

I stare hard at the screen that shows the huge double front doors, _willing_ my brothers to appear. Come on, come on, come on! Yes!

The doors suddenly burst open and Renet runs out of it, pulling Donnie by the hand. Leo is right behind them, followed closely by Mikey and – Master Splinter! He wasn't supposed to be there!

No time to think about that, though. I hit the button to open the door in the side of the Shellraiser. Shredder's entire building finally collapses behind my family as they all leap into the vehicle.

"Raph, drive!" shouts Leo as soon as they're all in. I don't need to be told twice, and Mikey pulls the door closed as I tear off down the street.


	40. Chapter 40: Revelations

_Chapter 40: Revelations_

 _Leo's POV_

I lean hard against the wall of the Shellraiser for balance as Raph drives the vehicle down the mostly deserted backstreets with unnecessary recklessness. Mikey, Donnie, and Renet have all collapsed into the three vacant seats, leaving Splinter and I standing near the back of the vehicle amidst – broken Footbots?

"Raph! What is all this?" I ask, kicking one of the robots and causing a few sparks to flash from it.

I see Raph's face smirking in the rear view mirror. "I had a little pest control problem."

I smile a little to myself. Huh. Looks like Raph held his own alright.

The Shellraiser suddenly swerves and lurches hard to the right, causing me to topple over, almost on top of Sensei, who calls out, "Raphael! Slow down! There is no one chasing us, and I would prefer to arrive home in one piece."

Raph instantly slows to a more normal pace, and Sensei and I regain our balance. I really wish Raph would listen to _me_ like that.

A brief silence falls and I look around at everyone, grateful that no one was seriously hurt. We are all sporting new cuts and bruises, but nothing anyone would complain about. Donnie is leaning forward in his seat, taking slow, deep breaths, like he's trying to relax after the frighteningly bewildering experience he was just put through. Mikey, sitting in his old navigator's seat, is making eyes at Renet, who doesn't notice. She's too busy looking around at the Shellraiser, a really excited look on her face.

"Oh that was so grocking groovy, you guys!" she gushes, and I smile at her failed attempt at contemporary slang. "Thanks so much for rescuing me!"

Donnie mutters a "Don't mention it," before Renet continues.

"Michelangelo, that was so _cold_ the way you took out that creepy bug scientist!"

Mikey tries to bask in her praise, but she's already onto the next thing. "And then when we came into the throne room and there were _all_ those bad guys, I thought we were goners, but you guys were so _amazing_ at fighting and still defeated them all! Donatello, you even knocked out the _Shredder!"_

"Yeah, about that," interrupts Donnie, "I really have no idea what actually happened in there."

Mikey immediately leans over, grabs Donnie hands, and begins what appears to be a very animated account of what happened. Many of his signs seem to be improvised, most of them mimicking explosions or other full-body actions that Donnie is having difficulty following.

"What? Sorry, Mikey, but I'm really not catching any of that," Donnie says at last, looking more confused than ever.

Renet steps in. "Well, when Master Splinter brought himself and the Shredder back from wherever they went with the Time Scepter, the Shredder was unconscious, so we thought we could get away quickly, but some of his henchmen started to attack us – they were all lying on the floor when we got there – and then the big rhino guy blocked our path to the door, and the Shredder woke up, too, and he had to be stopped, so I fired my entropy dart at him, but it missed and hit the wall instead, and that's why the whole building suddenly started to fall into disorder and chaos."

"Yeah, that's what doesn't make sense!" interrupts Donnie. "Entropy only measures the disorder in a system at a molecular level. It wouldn't cause bricks and water to fly around the room! And it felt like that's what was happening!"

"That _is_ what was happening," continues Renet. "Especially once the bombs started going off."

"Yeah, I _was_ aware of the bombs. Funny enough, those explosions weren't hard to feel! But _why_ did they go off? I had them set so they could only go off when _Raph_ pushed the button."

The accusation in his tone wasn't missed by Raph, who calls back angrily from the driver's seat, "I _didn't_ push the button, Donnie! The bombs just started going off by themselves!"

"But how?"

"I think the entropy dart did that, too," says Renet.

"But that doesn't make _sense_!" Donnie is now reaching levels of frustration that only the breakdown of reason can cause.

"I'm sorry, Donatello," Renet tries to explain. "I don't know the science behind the entropy dart. I just know what it does. And that's pretty much what it does."

"But - "

"Just drop it, Donnie," I finally put in, knowing this conversation will not reach a satisfactory conclusion. Donnie falls silent with a huff, still looking frustrated.

Renet settles back in her chair again, apparently unperturbed by the argument. She is still clutching the Time Scepter in one hand. I feel a swelling sense of relief in my chest as I look at it. We succeeded! We got the Time Scepter before Shredder could use it to destroy the world. Though it suddenly occurs to me that he must have tried. When he and Sensei disappeared. . .

I look over at Master Splinter, standing next to me. His expression is unreadable, but he meets my gaze and I just have to ask.

"Sensei, when the Shredder used the Time Scepter, where did he take you?"

He looks away and for a few moments he does not answer. I'm not even sure if he's going to answer at all. Then, quietly, he says, "Into my past."

He does not say this with finality, as if to end the conversation, so when he looks back at me with something wistful in his expression, I venture to ask, "You saw Tang Shen?"

"Yes."

Complete silence has fallen in the vehicle, and I know everyone is listening to our conversation. I hesitate to ask the next question, but it's burning in me and I must know the answer.

"You had a chance to save her, didn't you?"

Again he looks intently at me as he answers, "I did."

"But you didn't do it."

"No. I did not."

I stare at him for a few moments as the significance of that little statement strikes deep into my heart.

He chose us.

He finally had a chance to get back the family he had lost, and he chose _us_ instead.

I am suddenly overcome with gratitude and love for my father, but I stand there like an idiot, unmoving, not knowing what to say. What _can_ I say, when 'thank you' is much too frail a term to express the overwhelming emotion inside me?

Thankfully, Michelangelo has never had any trouble expressing his feelings, and in an instant he is on his feet and hugging our father so tight I'm afraid he'll squeeze him to death.

I glance quickly around the Shellraiser and notice that Donnie's expression matches my own feelings. I can't see Raph's face, but the Shellraiser has slowed down significantly, and the tenseness of his shoulders tells me he heard every word. Renet is watching Mikey and Master Splinter, and her body language makes it clear that she's barely containing an ' _Awwwww_!'

Master Splinter smiles fondly down at Michelangelo and lightly caresses the top of his head. Then he looks up at me once again and as his amber eyes meet mine, I try to pour inexpressible gratitude into my expression.

He sees it, and in that moment, it is enough.

.o0o.

A few minutes later Raph pulls into the garage and we all clamber out of the Shellraiser. Renet leaps out and stops in one place for a moment, practically bouncing up and down with excitement as she looks around at Donnie's lab.

"By Valgar, is this your _secret lair_?!" she squeals, and I can't help smiling.

I catch sight of Mikey looking longingly toward her. Stepping over toward Renet, I say rather pointedly, "Maybe _Mikey_ would like to give you a tour?"

"Ooooh, I'd _love_ that!"

And the next instant Mikey is taking her by the arm and leading her out into the main room of the lair, throwing me an appreciative smile over his shoulder as he does so. I follow them out into the living room, wondering for a moment if the tour is going to be awkward without Mikey being able to say anything, but as he takes her excitedly into the kitchen, I can hear her own voice more than making up for Mikey's lack of one.

"Is this the kitchen? Aw, look at all the old fashioned appliances! What does this one do? Oooooh! Is that _pizza_? Can I try some?"

Yep, they're gonna be fine.

Donnie pushes past me and flops onto the cushioned bench in the pit. He looks exhausted. I'm thinking of joining him when I feel a tap on my shoulder.

"Leonardo, a word with you, please."

Sensei motions toward the dojo and I follow him slowly. Of course, I knew this was going to come. We deliberately disobeyed him and undertook a very dangerous mission. We all knew we were going to get in trouble. I remain quiet as Master Splinter slides open the rice paper door leading into his room. I follow him in and kneel respectfully on the floor while he lights a few candles, illuminating the dim space. Finally, he kneels as well, so that we are facing each other, a few feet apart.

I stare at my knees, waiting patiently for him to begin, but when several minutes pass and he makes no attempt to break the silence, I cautiously look up. He is looking steadily at me and I realize he is waiting for me to speak first.

I take a deep breath and say, "I'm sorry, Sensei. I deliberately disobeyed you and took my brothers on a very dangerous mission that might have cost us our lives. It was very reckless of me, and I'm sorry."

There is a pause before he asks, quite solemnly, "Are you?"

I am taken aback by this reaction to my apology, but it causes me to reflect. I led my brothers on an extremely hazardous mission tonight, but we succeeded, didn't we? Though we risked our lives, no one was lost or even badly hurt. Despite all the odds stacked against us, we did manage to get the Time Scepter back. And we rescued Renet and even destroyed the Shredder's Lair with the Shredder and all of the Foot Clan inside it. Am I sorry that we did that?

"No. No, I'm not."

A small smile appears on my father's face. "Neither am I."

What? I'm not about to get in trouble? My surprise must be evident on my face because Sensei's smile grows more pronounced.

"Do you know now why I made you leader, Leonardo?" he asks me seriously.

I ponder this for a moment, but still feeling unsure of the answer, I respond truthfully, "No, Sensei."

"These last couple weeks you and your brothers have been faced with greater challenges than you have ever had to face before. Your team was falling apart, Leonardo. You, yourself, were questioning your ability to lead them. And yet tonight you led that team to the very heart of our enemy's territory and you not only brought them all back unharmed, but you succeeded in completing your mission and defeating the Shredder as well. How were you able to accomplish this?"

He's not asking out of curiosity. He already knows the answer, but he's trying to get me to figure it out for myself.

"Well," I say, "I just encouraged everyone to work together. None of us could do all the things we used to be able to do, so I knew we had to lean on each other in order to overcome that."

"Exactly. You are acutely aware of each of your brothers' strengths and weaknesses, and your own as well. You helped your brothers to see that they could use their skills to overcome each other's limitations. This is a quality of a great leader.

"You encouraged Michelangelo in his pursuits to create new forms of communication. You convinced Raphael to abandon his self-pity and proved that he was still an asset to the team. And you gave Donatello enough confidence to return to his mechanics and to accompany you on your mission, though it must have been a very frightening experience for him.

"I am very proud of you, my son."

My heart swells at these last words, and looking up at my father's proud smile, I can't help the stupid grin of appreciation from forming on my face.

"Leo!" The sound of Raph's voice calling me echoes, muffled, through the rice paper walls, and the golden moment is shattered. "Leo! C'mere! Where are you?" He sounds excited about something.

"I think you had better go and see what Raphael wants," Master Splinter suggests, signaling our interview to be at an end, and giving me permission to leave. I nod once and get to my feet.

"Leo! Where are you?"

"I'm here!" I call as I walk quickly through the dojo. I find Raph at the bottom of the stairs, just outside the dojo door.

"Come on, Leo! Renet's got some great news!" He looks really happy about something.


	41. Chapter 41: Plans

_Chapter 41: Plans_

 _Leo's POV_

Following Raph, I find my other brothers and Renet sitting in the pit. Renet is holding the Time Scepter.

"Hey, Leonardo!" she calls cheerfully. "Are you ready to go back in time and undo all the mistakes I made?"

"What do you mean?" I ask slowly, hesitant to jump to conclusions.

"Renet says she can take us back in time to before all _this_ happened," grins Raph, gesturing vaguely to the four of us. "We can stop it from ever happening!"

Wait, what? Naturally, I had been harboring a secret hope that once we obtained the Scepter, we might, possibly, be able to change the past, but I hadn't dared to voice this idea to my brothers, for fear of raising false hopes. I seriously didn't think it would be likely. I look sharply at Renet, who gives me a questioning glance.

"Didn't you guys know that?" she asks. "Isn't that why you went to get the Scepter from the Shredder?"

"Actually, we were mostly trying to keep him from using it to destroy the world," puts in Donnie. "Though the idea of reversing certain negative events did cross my mind. . ."

"Of course it did!" puts in Raph. "We were all thinking it!"

Mikey nods energetically. Apparently I wasn't alone in this hope after all.

Donnie still looks a little wary. "Yeah, but I doubted whether it would be possible."

"Oh, it's possible!" Renet says emphatically. "This whole mess is my fault. I really screwed up this time, but I'm determined to set it right."

"Hear that?" crows Raph. "I knew it could happen! What are we waiting for? I wanna walk again!"

"Hold on, Raph," I say, hesitant to get my hopes up before I know all the details. "Renet, isn't messing with time really dangerous? We could go back and fix this, but then accidentally mess up something even worse, couldn't we?"

Raph scowls at me, but Donnie looks like he had been thinking the same thing.

"Oh don't worry," says Renet, "I know what I'm doing. I'm an expert!"

I'm not entirely reassured.

"Okay, maybe not quite an _expert_ yet," she admits, "but I have done this lots of times before!"

"What, you mean you've made lots of mistakes and had to fix them before?" asks Raph, now looking skeptical as well. Renet's face falls.

"Really, guys," she says, more somberly this time. "I do know what I'm doing. We can plan the whole thing out. Nothing will go wrong. I promise."

"Say we succeed," begins Donnie in a thoughtful tone, "and we cause the events of the last two weeks to never happen. What will happen to this current version of us? Will we just cease to exist?"

"You never will have existed at all, actually," answers Renet. "As far as you're concerned, your lives will continue normally from that point two weeks ago, without any interference from the Time Scepter."

"Wait," I interject, "you mean we won't remember any of this at all?"

"Of course not. You can't remember something that never happened."

I fold my arms and frown, thinking it over. On the one hand, of course it would be great to be well and whole again, but on the other. . . I can't help thinking of all that we've learned because of these experiences. We've come together as a team in deeper ways than we ever have before. We've learned to work together better than I could have hoped. And we defeated the Shredder! His whole lair is destroyed, and he's probably dead, along with his entire clan! If we change these events, he will be back, too.

I consider, too, the conversation I just had with Sensei. I finally found fulfillment in my role as leader of this team. Can I really go back to believing that he chose me to be leader randomly, simply because I asked?

And then there's Master Splinter. Changing the past would mean he will never have that chance to choose whether or not to save Tang Shen. I realize, of course, that he himself will not change. If given the opportunity, he would choose us, just the same. But _we_ will never know that. And that makes all the difference.

"What are you thinking, Leo?" asks Donnie, and I realize I've been quiet for a few moments and everyone is waiting for my decision.

"Well, I - " I'm about to tell them my thoughts, but Raph cuts in.

"You're not seriously thinking about it, like there's more than one option, are you, Leo?"

Raph glares at me and I suddenly look more closely at all of them. At Raph, stuck in his wheelchair, at Donnie, confined in the dark, and at Mikey, sitting all too silent beside him. I'm being selfish. Of course there's only one option! I could never ask my brothers to give up so much when there's a way to reverse it. I open my mouth to give in, but again I'm interrupted, this time by Renet.

"Would it help if I told you that we actually kind of _have_ to do it?"

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Well, history's already _been_ changed. This course of events is all wrong. You guys are supposed to save the world. Many times. And I know you did really great tonight, but there are things coming in the future that you will never be able to handle the way you are now. Honestly, if we don't go back and fix this, the entire human race could cease to exist within the next few years!"

I see a grin break across Donnie's face. "Way to appeal to his hero complex, Renet!"

"Hey, I was going to agree to it anyway!" I say, feigning offense.

"Alright, let's do this!" cries Raph enthusiastically.

Having made the decision, I plop down on the cushion beside Mikey, joining their circle in order to make the necessary plans.

.o0o.

 _Raph's POV_

Finally. _Finally_ , after way too much boring and unnecessary planning, we are all huddled around in a circle so we can all have a hold on the Time Scepter. Apparently Renet says that if we all hold onto it, we don't have to bother with going through a portal. I don't know how it works, and I don't care, but I noticed I got several significant looks from my brothers when she said that. I guess they were thinking the same thing I was – that leaping through a portal isn't exactly an option for me right now. Well, not for much longer! I'm _so_ ready to be done with this nightmare!

Once we've all got a grip on the handle, Renet says, "Okay, Leo, go for it!"

Leo calls out a specific time and location – it took us way too long to figure out exactly where and when we should go – and Renet slams the Scepter down into the ground. A flash of bright light, and suddenly we're on a rooftop at night.

We all break apart and sort of look around, trying to determine if we came to the right place. It _feels_ like that night – the night Donnie got attacked and we lost Mikey. Hard to tell for sure, though.

Renet runs to the edge of the building and looks down. "Yep! This is the right spot!" she cries, pointing down into the alley below. The rest of us come closer and look down, too, except for Donnie. It's just an empty alley with a dumpster.

"That's the trash receptacle I land in when I first appear in this time period," Renet explains. "See? It's still open and I'm not there, so I haven't arrived yet. We came at the right time."

"Okay guys," Leo begins, his fists on his hips. Oh no, he's using his let's-go-over-the-plan-again voice. "Remember, we have to stop Tiger Claw from finding the Time Scepter. If he never gets it, then none of the things they did to us will happen. We need to make sure we – our past selves – find Renet instead."

"Yeah, yeah, we know the plan, Leo," I grumble at him.

"Just make sure you are not seen by your past selves," warns Renet.

Mikey makes a sign for _why_? Huh, I actually understood that.

Leo jumps in. "Because it would create a paradox that would rip a hole in the fabric of Time and Space!"

Renet giggles. "You've been watching too much science fiction, Leonardo!" I smirk at Leo's dejected face as Renet continues. "No, paradoxes happen in time travel all the time. It would just be dangerous to be seen by your past self. Think about it, Leo. The you from two weeks ago doesn't know that you're messing with time. What would past-you think if present-you suddenly appeared in front of him – I mean, you?"

"Well, I guess I would assume it was some kind of clone or hologram, or some other trick made by the Kraang or something," says Leo thoughtfully.

"Exactly!" agrees Renet. "You would probably attack yourself. You might even end up killing yourself!"

"Past-you does have swords," I put in helpfully.

"Yeah," agrees Donnie, "that would definitely cause a bigger problem than the one we're dealing with now."

"Okay, okay," says Leo impatiently. "We won't be seen by our past selves. Now we just have to lure us here in time to find Renet, so we can - "

He is interrupted by the distant sound of an achingly familiar voice. "Booyakasha! Donnie, did you see that? That was a totally perfect double back flip, bro!"

We turn our heads in that direction and can just make out the four silhouettes of ourselves running and leaping over the rooftops a couple blocks away.

"Get down!" hisses Leo, and the others all duck behind the little wall on the edge of the roof. Yeah, not so easy for me, bro. It doesn't matter, though, because our past selves aren't coming this way. They're heading away from us, toward China Town.

"Raph!" calls Leo, still in a whisper. Seriously, does he think we have super sonic hearing or something? Our past selves won't be able to hear us. They are getting further away. "Raph, make the call now!"

Right! Almost forgot my part of the plan. I take out my T-phone and dial 911. A woman's voice answers almost immediately. "911. What is your emergency?"

Making my voice high-pitched and distressed, I cry out, "Help! Help! Robbery! Someone's robbing my store!" I glance down at the shop across from the alleyway. "It's Second Time Around Antiques on 32nd! Hurry! Hurry! They've got guns! Robbery!" Then I quickly hang up.

Looking up, I see everyone staring at me with highly amused looks on their faces. Mikey and Donnie suddenly burst out laughing.

"Ahaha! That was the funniest thing I've ever heard!" Donnie cries through his laughter. Leo is just smirking at me.

"What?" I fold my arms in a huff. "They'll come faster if they think it's a damsel in distress."

Donnie and Mikey are still giggling, but Leo looks solemn again as he gazes out toward the place where our past selves are still running across the rooftops. We can barely see them anymore. In another minute they'll be too far away and our plan will completely fail.

We wait, tense, for a few more seconds. I can hear Leo muttering under his breath, "Come on, come on!"

Then we hear it. Police sirens.


	42. Chapter 42: Repaired

_Chapter 42: Repaired FINAL CHAPTER_

 _Leo's POV_

Raph and I leap across a narrow alleyway, and as we land on the next rooftop I spare a quick glance of concern toward my immediate younger brother. I must've been doing that a lot tonight because Raph rolls his eyes in annoyance and says, "Shut up, Leo. I'm fine!"

"I didn't say anything!"

"No, but you were thinkin' it."

Okay, so that's true. It's been less than a week since Raphael was laid up with a badly sprained ankle, courtesy of FishFace. I was hesitant to let Raph come out on patrol with us tonight so soon after his injury, but Donnie declared him fully recovered.

As we continue to race across the rooftops, I turn my attention back to the streets far below, keeping a lookout for any sign of suspicious or criminal activity. Apart from the never ending chatter from my loud-mouthed little brother, the night is quiet. Just ordinary people going about their ordinary business. There seems to be no sign of the Kraang, or the Foot, or -

"Not even any Purple Dragons out tonight!" Raph growls in frustration. "My first night out all week and there aren't any heads to bash!"

I sigh. He's right. I'm about to call it a night when suddenly a new sound breaks the silence. A police siren.

I immediately lift my hand to signal a halt, and all three of my brothers pull up around me, Mikey mercifully shutting his mouth to listen, too. After a few seconds I figure out which direction it's coming from.

"There!" I point to a spot several blocks behind us and a little to the north. My brothers need no further instruction as we instantly turn and begin running in that direction.

"Finally! Some action!" cries Raphael beside me.

Donnie is the first one to spot the red and blue flashing lights, and a moment later we stop on a rooftop just above them to get a view of what's going on. The police car is parked outside an antique store, but it doesn't look like much is happening. The police are talking, but I can't hear them from up here. I leap down into the empty alley to get a bit closer, and I hear the almost silent sound of my brothers jumping down behind me.

"Nah, there's nothing here, Frank. Just another false alarm," one of the officers says as he opens the door of the car and gets inside.

"Stupid prank callers," agrees the other, annoyed. "Do they think we have nothing better to do?"

The car door slams and the car drives off into the night, its lights turned off.

"Well that sucks!" grumbles Raph from behind me. I turn to see him standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. "Who would call in a false emergency like that? Seriously?"

"I don't know, Raph," I answer, "but it looks like nothing's happening tonight. Let's head home, guys."

Raph opens his mouth to protest, but a flash of white light suddenly causes us all to look up into the sky. A glowing doorway has suddenly appeared several feet in the air. A very familiar looking doorway.

Sure enough, the next second Renet, that strange time traveling girl from the future, floats through the portal. She looks excited for a moment, but when gravity takes over, she gives a small shriek of panic.

Mikey moves like lightning. He runs down the alley, leaps off the side of a building, and catches the girl in midair before she can land in the open dumpster below. He executes a beautiful rolled landing and comes up on his feet, holding Renet, unharmed, bridal style.

"Renet!" he cries in delight. "You came to visit us, just like you said you would!"

Renet looks at Mikey in shock. "Michelangelo?" She quickly squirms to get down. Mikey looks like he would have liked to hold her a bit longer, but he lets her go. She gets to her feet and stares at all of us. "The Turtle Warriors? How did you get here? Wait, where am I?" She looks around. "Is this New York?"

"Of course it is!" cries Mikey, trying to direct her attention back on himself. "You came to visit us, right?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mikey," she says, "but actually I wasn't supposed to come here at all! I was supposed to be in France! I have to save the French Revolution!"

Mikey's face falls in disappointment as Raph raises an eye ridge. "Save the what?"

Renet gasps in horror, looking at Raph. "You've never heard of the French Revolution? Oh no! Maybe they already changed history! Maybe I'm too late and the Revolution never happened!"

"It happened," scoffs Donnie. "This ignoramus is just terrible at history. The French Revolution took place from 1789 to 1799 and was a revolt against the monarchy to -"

I quickly cut him off before he gets too carried away with his list of facts. "We get it, Donnie! No need for the history lesson."

Renet is looking relieved. "Oh good! I thought I totally messed up this mission! Well, sorry guys, I'd love to stay, but if I don't save the Revolution, the world as you know it will be seriously altered. There might not even _be_ a France!"

Mikey gasps. "Does that mean there would be no French fries?! Or French toast? Or what about French bread?"

Renet giggles at him. "I think there are more important reasons to preserve history." But Mikey isn't listening. He's on his own weird train of thought.

"Wait, what would happen if you toasted French bread? Then would it be French bread toast, or French bread French toast? And what if you _fried_ French bread toast? Then you could call it -"

Thankfully, Raph cuts off his pointless babbling with a smack to the back of his head. "Shut up, ya moron!"

"Ow! Raph!"

Renet waves the Time Scepter, opening another portal, this one much closer to the ground. "Well, I'll see you guys another time! I really will come to visit, Mikey!"

Mikey pouts a little, but waves goodbye as she disappears into the portal, which closes shut behind her.

"Well," Donnie sums up, "that was. . . interesting."

"No, that was pointless!" cries Raph. "I still haven't beaten anyone up tonight!"

"We'll have to save that for another time, Raph," I say, climbing up the fire escape to the roof. "It's late. We need to get home."

"Oooh!" cries Mikey. "Can we get pizza on the way home? I'm starving!"

Donnie rolls his eyes. "You're always starving, Mikey."

"Not unless you brought some money," I answer Mikey's question.

His disappointed pout shows that he didn't. Not wasting any more time, I burst into speed and head for home with my brothers following closely behind, Mikey complaining about his lack of pizza all the way. I sigh. Some nights he can be so annoying!

.o0o.

 _Tiger Claw's POV_

I fling open the door of Stockman's lab in frustration. Angrily, I storm into the room, shouting out, "Stockman! Where are you?"

The hideous fly buzzes into view from somewhere above. "What do you want?"

"I've been out every night this week, and there's been no sign of the turtles anywhere!" I growl and release some of my anger by swiping several objects off of one of his desks, where they smash onto the floor. I ignore his angry protestations. "Tell me you have something that will help me find them!" I demand.

"That izzzz eazzzzier zzzzzaid than done!" buzzes Stockman unhelpfully. "What zzzzzort of thing are you looking for?!"

"I don't know! Something to help me track them, or find their hideout!" I roar, throwing a few more bottles across the room. "You're supposed to be the inventor! What does Shredder even keep you around for?"

"That izzzz hizzzz buzzzziness. What you azzzzk for can't be done!"

I wasn't really expecting the useless fly to help me, but my rage flares at his refusal, anyway. With a satisfying roar, I flip over one of his worktables, shattering glass vials and beakers everywhere. A pouch full of some sort of purple powder spills all over the floor, mixing with a broken vial of an unknown yellow liquid, and a strange glob of red goo. The resulting explosion causes me to smirk, especially when it produces hysterical cries from the miserable scientist.

"No! No! What have you done? Thozzzze subzzzztancezzzz were extremely rare! You've dezzzztroyed monthzzzz of work!"

I crack a smile. Taking out my frustrations on Stockman is entertaining and I feel my anger at my lack of progress against the turtles dissipating. I will have another chance to find them.

.o0o.

 _Splinter's POV_

I perk up my ears as the distant sounds of my returning sons reach my room. Coming swiftly to the door of the dojo, I listen intently. The muffled yet distinct sounds of Michelangelo and Raphael's voices reach my ears. They do not sound distressed, and I can hear one, two. . . yes, four sets of feet drawing nearer. I sigh in relief.

Moments later, all four of my sons come bounding over the turnstiles, a general air of frustration and disappointment about them. The instant they are inside, Michelangelo cries out loudly, "I call the TV!" and he dives into the pit after the remote.

"Oh no you don't, Mikey! I called it before we got home!" shouts Raphael angrily, his feet pounding as he rushes after Michelangelo.

"It doesn't count until we're in the lair!" comes Michelangelo's retort as he leaps out of Raphael's reach.

"Gimme that, you little dork!"

"Nah, you'll have to catch me first, Raphie!"

The noisy sounds of Raphael chasing his youngest brother around the lair echo off the walls, and Donatello's eyes follow their antics exasperatedly for a few seconds before he calls out loudly, "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my lab!" as he slams the steel door shut behind him.

Untying the scabbards from his back, Leonardo gathers his katanas and approaches me respectfully. I nod at him in acknowledgment. "How did your patrol go tonight, my son?"

"It was an uneventful night, Sensei. Nothing to report."

"Good."

I shall be able to sleep soundly again tonight, knowing that all four of my sons are safe under my roof. I turn to go back to my room, feeling grateful for uneventful nights.

FINIS

 **.o0o.**

 **AN: And that's the end, my friends! I just want to take a moment to say thank you to all of you for sticking with me through this journey. It's been a fun ride! I appreciate all the faves and follows, and especially the reviews. And thank you to WinterHeath and Spirael for being awesome betas, and to WinterHeath, Spirael, Flaux, and FunkyThursday for all of the lovely fanart! You guys have really showered me with love for this story and I am forever grateful!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Celandine**


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